The CEID hosts timely symposia on relevant diseases that are of interest to our members. Symposia drive interdisciplinary innovation and discussion through presentations and panels from leaders in the field, focused break-out sessions and discussions, and poster sessions.
The Ecology & Evolution of Marine Parasites & Diseases
John Wares, Jeb Byers (UGA) and April Blakeslee (ECU) organized and convened a 2/3 day symposium at the annual Benthic Ecology Meetings in Mobile, Alabama in April 2025. We featured authors of chapters of our upcoming edited book of the same title who gave talks showcasing their work from their chapters. The symposium generated much attention with about 200 attendees.
The topics discussed in this symposium will be be published in book form as part of the Oxford University Press series on Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases.
Foot & Mouth Disease
From March 11 – 13, 2025, the USDA National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (USDA NBAF) and the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases (CEID) at the University of Georgia co-hosted a symposium on Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) research in the U.S. This symposium was hybrid, conducted online and in-person at the Manhattan Conference Center in Manhattan, KS.
The symposium brought together leading experts to present global trends in FMD research and the latest insights on the ecology, epidemiology, and risk assessment implications for the United States.
Participants will engage in two full days of presentations (March 11-12) in a hybrid format with an interactive half-day session dedicated to synthesizing and publishing the symposium outcomes (March 13, in-person only).
Ecology & Evolution of Influenza Viruses
From November 18th to 19th, 2024 the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia hosted a symposium on the Ecology & Evolution if Influenza Viruses. This symposium was held in-person at the University of Georgia.
The symposium featured presentations by a range of leading experts on influenza in animals and humans, management, macroecology and geographic patterns, evolutionary biology, and population dynamics. Participants also had the opportunity to participate in round table discussions and a poster session.
We anticipate that outcomes from this symposium will be be published in book form as part of the Oxford University Press series on Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases.
Viral Traits
From September 9th to 10th, 2024 the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia hosted a symposium on Viral Traits and Infectious Disease Emergence. The hybrid symposium was held in-person at the University of Georgia, with a Zoom option.
The symposium aimed to review knowledge on viral traits and disease emergence and synthesize current knowledge and best practices for disease modeling through invited talks, round table discussions, and a poster session.
Anticipated outcomes of the symposium include:
A synthesis and future directions paper on how we currently conceptualize viral traits and how this information can be incorporated into cutting-edge approaches for the modeling of disease emergence.
The potential development of a publicly-accessible resource that enables the rapid generation of disease outcome prediction as part of the Oxford University Press series on Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases.
Japanese Encephalitis Virus
From October 17th to 19th, 2022 the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia hosted a symposium on Japanese Encephalitis Virus. The hybrid symposium was held in-person at the University of Georgia, with a Zoom option.
This symposium was dedicated to furthering understanding of the current outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) in Australia, and its potential for global impact on human and domestic animal populations. This symposium examined the 2022 JEV outbreak in the Australian commercial swine industry, and the risk and potential impact of importation to the United States or other countries. The symposium’s objectives were to advance knowledge about JEV amplifying hosts, reservoir hosts, and vectors, and models of JEV transmission, spread, and importation in order to predict and control future outbreaks in Australia, the United States, and other countries.
Research Frontiers in Animal Behavior & Parasitism
From May 20th – 21th, 2020 the Odum School of Ecology & Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases hosted a symposium dedicated to research at the interface of animal behavior and infectious disease ecology. Events included a keynote address, a series of lectures by leading scientists from around the world, a poster session and reception, breakout sessions, and catered lunches.
Population Biology of Vector-borne Diseases
On February 24, 2018, the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases hosted a day-long symposium dedicated to the population biology of vector-borne diseases. Events included a series of lectures by leading scientists from around the world, a poster session where non-speakers can present their work, and a catered reception.