SCHEDULE.
Zebrafish infection research has seen an exciting gain in momentum over recent years, enabling fundamental discovery and therapeutic advance. We therefore organise a one-day event each year to promote this emerging research avenue.
This Zebrafish Infection and Immunity 9 workshop held at Worcester College Oxford will highlight the potential of zebrafish to study host-pathogen interactions, and to dissect mechanisms of inflammation and immunity.
We have invited keynote speakers that have made outstanding contributions to the field, but the majority of the talks (15 mins) will be delivered by early-career researchers. We will also have a vibrant poster session and flash talks (2-3 mins) selected from the posters.
Detailed Agenda Below.
ZII9. Worcester College, Oxford, UK . Thursday 1st October 2026.
9.00-10.00 Arrival, Poster Set-Up and Registration
10.00-10.05 Opening Remarks and sponsors
Clare Muir, Yi Feng and Maria Forlenza
Session 1
Chair: Clare Muir
10.05-10.45 Keynote 1
New insights into persistent Shigella infection: inflammation, macrophages and pathogen evolution.
Dr Vincenzo Torraca
10.45-11.00
Flash talks
1. Dissecting CFTR-Driven Inflammation: A Zebrafish Platform to Explore Innate Immunity and Therapeutic Responses in Cystic Fibrosis
Simone Pagliughi
2. Beyond the Gut: Human Norovirus Replicates in Hepatocytes and Other Liver Cells in Zebrafish Larvae
Lorane Molineaux
3. Influenza-associated epithelial damages promotes fungal invasion in a zebrafish swimbladder model of influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis
Steffi Goor
4. Lysosomal failure, immune dysfunction, and neurodegeneration: decoding the role(s) of microglia in driving RNASET2-deficient leukodystrophy.
Sarahdja Cornelie
5. Combination therapy targeting HDAC8 and SIRT1 reduces inflammation in a dmd zebrafish model
Sabrina Carbone
11.00-11.30
Tea/Coffee and poster viewing
Session 2
Chair: Maria Forlenza
11.30-11.45
Short Talk 1
Granuloma macrophage focal adhesions at the necrotic core are essential to host-defense against mycobacteria in humans and zebrafish
Charlie J. Pyle
11.45-12.00
Short Talk 2
Uncovering host and pathogen factors shaping Trypanosoma carassii infection outcomes in zebrafish
Kaylee van Dijk
12.00-12.15
Short Talk 3
Macrophage v-ATPase function restrains Aspergillus fumigatus germination and hyphal growth In Vivo
Aqib Rehman Magray
12.15-12.30
Short Talk 4
Targeting lipid transfer from macrophages to recurrent glioblastoma cells for novel therapies
Gabriel Forn-Cuní1
12.30-12.45
Short Talk 5
Modulation of extracellular RNA uptake and translation by keratinocytes in vivo
Mollie Sweeney
12.45-13.45 buffet lunch and poster viewing
Session 3
Innate Immune Sensing and Signalling
Chair: Yi Feng
13.45-14.25 Keynote 2
From Cell Death to Inflammation: Brakes, Signals and Immune Consequences
Prof Jelena Bezbradica Mirkovic
14.25-14.40
Short talk 6
Receptor-specific regulation of LC3-Associated Phagocytosis during Staphylococcus aureus infection.
Bartosz J. Michno
14.40-14.55
Short talk 7
IFN-γ-Dependent Macrophage Reprogramming Coordinates Inflammatory Resolution and Matrix Remodeling in Heart Regeneration
Ben Shih-Lei Lai
14.55-15.10
Flash talks
1. A zebrafish model of an inherited neurodevelopmental disorder reveals a novel mechanism of dsRNA handling by failing mitochondria following SUPV3L1-deficiency
Diogo Candeias
2. A novel population health-based approach to screen for scarring genes reveals a role for LGR4 in skin repair
Oscar Peña
3. Resolving Zebrafish Lymphocyte Development at Single-Cell Resolution
Kimble Frazer
4. A neutrophil-derived Tnfb signal drives preneoplastic cell survival and proliferation during RAS-induced skin tumor initiation in zebrafish
Xinying Jiao
5. Cuddling in the niche: using zebrafish to examine myeloma-macrophage interactions and their implications for patients
Thomas Rees
15.10-15.40 Tea/Coffee and poster viewing
Session 4
Chair: Clare Muir
15.40-16.20 Keynote 3
Comparison of zebrafish-mycobacterial granulomatous infections reveals differential subversion of host immune signalling by tuberculous and non-tuberculous pathogens
Dr Stefan Oehlers
16.20-16.30
Prize giving and Closing remarks
*Please join us for an informal social dinner @ the White Rabbit, 7pm on Wednesday 30th September. Contact cmuir@ed.ac.uk if you would like to attend. *.