Welcome Message from the Congress Chairs

AB OSTERHAUS, Professor of Wildlife Virology and Virus Discovery, Hannover, Germany 

Professor Osterhaus has been Head of the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus MC Rotterdam until 2014, is currently Director of the Center of Infection Medicine and Zoonosis Research and Guest-Professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. He has a long track record as a scientific researcher and Principal Investigator of numerous major scientific projects. At Erasmus MC, Professor Osterhaus has run a diagnostic virology lab with more than 40 staff and a research virology lab with over 150 personnel. His research programme follows a novel integrated “viroscience” concept, bringing together world- leading scientists in molecular virology, immunology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and intervention studies on human and animal virus infections. Among the major accomplishments are the discovery of more than 70 new viruses of humans and animals (e.g. human metapneumovirus, coronaviruses and influenza viruses), elucidation of the pathogenesis of major human and animal virus infections, and development of novel intervention strategies. This has enabled health authorities like the WHO to effectively combat disease outbreaks like SARS and avian influenza. The spin-offs, Viroclinics-DDL, Vironovative and CR2O, together employing more than 500 people, allow effective testing and refining of diagnostic tools and other intervention strategies and illustrate additional societally relevant successes. The international recognition of Professor Osterhaus is further highlighted by major prizes, guest lecture invitations, (co-)organiserships of international meetings and editorships of scientific journals. 

Professor Osterhaus has acted as mentor for more than 85 PhD students and holds several key patents. He is also the author of more than 1360 papers in peer-reviewed journals, together cited 90,000 times, with an H index 130. He is inventor on many patents and has been Chair of the European Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) for the past decades and is presently chair of the Global One Health Commission. He organised numerous international scientific conferences on influenza and other emerging infections, and received numerous prestigious awards. He holds several senior editorships and is Chief Editor of One Health Outlook, a newly established journal of the Springer-Nature group. He is member of the Dutch and German National Academies of Sciences, member of the Belgium Academia of Medicine, and Commander of the Order of the Dutch Lion.

JOHN MACKENZIE, Emeritus Professor, Curtin University, Australia - formerly Professor of Tropical Infectious Diseases 

John Mackenzie has an outstanding international reputation in the field of virology and its impacts on public health. He was formerly Professor of Microbiology at The University of Queensland prior to his appointment to Curtin University. He has received a number of international awards for his research, including the inaugural Mahathir Science Award by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia for scientific excellence in recognition of his contributions and innovations towards solving problems in the tropics through science and technology, and the inaugural Premier’s Research Fellowship of the Science Council of Western Australia. He served as Secretary-General of the International Union of Microbiological Societies from 1999 to 2005, and as President of the Australian Society for Microbiology from 1992-1994. He was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and of the American Academy of Microbiology, and was awarded the decoration of Officer in the Order of Australia for service to microbiology research, particularly as a leading contributor to the understanding of the genetics, pathogenesis and public health implications of viruses, and to education. He led the World Health Organisation (WHO) mission into China seeking information on SARS in 2003 and in 2009-2010, he chaired the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Influenza H1N1, and is currently a member of the Emergency Committees on Polio and COVID-19. In 2021, he was appointed to membership of the quadripartite FAO-UNEP-WHO-WOAH One Health High Level Expert Panel. For many years Prof. Mackenzie was a member of the Steering Committee of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network and the Asia-Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases. With regional colleagues, he co-founded the Asia Pacific Society for Medical Virology. He has published widely on various viruses, especially vector-borne viruses and emerging zoonotic viruses, and has a Google Scholar ’h’ index of 73 from 21,130 citations.

Dominique Charron is a Visiting Scholar in One Health at the University of Guelph where she contributes to developing research and education in One Health, with a focus on the science-to-policy interface. She is the Rapporteur of the One Health High-Level Expert Panel that advises the Quadripartite International organizations, and a director of the McEachran Institute, a think tank focused on veterinary education. Previously, she was Vice-President of Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and also led research programs in food security, climate adaptation, Global Health and Ecohealth. While at the Public Health Agency of Canada, she engaged in international cooperation with Caribbean developing countries. She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Guelph.

Dr. Jomana Musmar is a distinguished global policy expert and result-oriented leader with decades of intimate government experience within the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Defense (DoD), and Agriculture (USDA). She excels in cross-functional coordination, strategic planning, operational design, and policy execution. Dr. Musmar is the Founder of Advisors of Global Health (AGH), a consulting firm specializing in government and external affairs, policy and product development, and coalition building. She also Co-Founded and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Antimicrobial Strategic Coalition (ASC), an independent organization that leads cross-sector coordination to establish a unified stance on US-based policy positions on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) across the One Health spectrum. Dr. Musmar concurrently serves as Leadership Council Member at The National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education (NIAMRRE), on several global AMR planning committees including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol in the UK. 

Renowned for simplifying complex topics with expertise and diplomacy, Dr. Musmar has spearheaded innovative solutions to global One Health challenges, shaped impactful policies, and advanced national and international missions. As the Executive Director of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) for over a decade, she first established and led the PACCARB's operations liaising with over 600 experts in human, animal, and environmental domains across government, industry, and academia. Her efforts culminated in the development of critical recommendations addressing AMR and interrelated One Health issues, influencing both domestic and global health strategies. 

In her tenure as Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Office of Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Policy within the Office of the Secretary at HHS, Dr. Musmar oversaw the formulation and implementation of national health strategies for vaccines and a range of infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis, and the regulatory policies that govern them. Her leadership and technical expertise facilitated the development of interagency and executive level task forces and streamlined implementation of operations during national emergencies, including responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and initiatives to combat congenital syphilis and childhood vaccination disruptions. 

Dr. Musmar holds a Ph.D. in Biodefense and International Security from George Mason University, a Master's degree in Biomedical Science policy and Advocacy from Georgetown University, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Fluent in English and Arabic, she is a sought-after speaker and advisor, having represented the United States at premier global health conferences. Her published works on AMR, pandemic preparedness, and national health security policy underscore her reputation as a thought leader and innovator in public health and biodefense.