Home · 1st Swiss Enterovirus Symposium

Submissions & Registration

Use the links below to register, submit an abstract, or apply for a travel grant.

Registration

The registration deadline has passed.

Registration closed.

Abstract submission

Deadline: 1 September 2026

Submission closed.

Travel grants

Deadline: 22 June 2026

Application closed.

About

A focused meeting uniting virology, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and clinical science to drive progress in enterovirus research and surveillance.

Why this symposium?

Enteroviruses are an increasingly important yet underrepresented global health challenge, with evolving genotypes (including EV-A71 and EV-D68) linked to rising disease burden. This symposium creates a platform to spotlight cutting-edge science, new detection technologies, and clinical insights.

Format

Keynotes, contributed talks, and poster sessions
Interactive workshops (Nextclade, Pathoplexus)
Structured discussion forum + networking
In-person only to maximize collaboration

Co-hosts

This symposium is co-hosted by the European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV) and the European Non-Polio Enterovirus Network (ENPEN).

We are grateful for their generous support in advancing enterovirus research and surveillance across Europe.

Programme overview

Our programme aims to combine world-class plenaries, submitted talks, and interactive poster and discussion sessions, finalized by a skill-building workshop.

Time	Mon (Day 1)	Tue (Day 2)	Wed (Day 3)	Thu (Day 4)
09:00-10:45	—	Session 1 Epidemiology & Surveillance I	Session 4 Bioinformatics & Tools	Hands-on Workshop Nextclade/Pathoplexus
10:45-11:15	—	Coffee & Networking	Coffee & Networking	Coffee & Networking
11:15-13:00	—	Session 2 Epidemiology & Surveillance II	Session 5 Viral Fitness & Dynamics	Hands-on Workshop Nextclade/Pathoplexus
13:00-14:00	—	Lunch Break	Lunch Break	Lunch Break
14:00-16:00	—	Social Activity	Social Activity	—
16:00-17:30	Conference Registration	Session 3 Clinical Insights & Poster Flash Talks	Poster Session	—
17:30-19:00	Welcome & Opening Keynote	Poster Session	Breakout Discussions	—
19:00-21:00	Welcome Dinner	Dinner	Closing Dinner & Entertainment	—

Times in this programme overview are approximate and subject to change; find the latest detailed programme here: programme.

Confirmed speakers

Stay tuned as we confirm more speakers!

Dr. Heli Harvala

Opening Keynote

University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland & co-founder of ENPEN

“Enterovirus surveillance in Europe: integrating clinical, environmental, and genomic data for outbreak preparedness.”

Dr. Javier Martin-Gonzalez

Epidemiology & Surveillance I

National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), UK

“Poliovirus and Beyond: Enterovirus Genomics in Wastewater”

Prof. Katharina Röltgen

Epidemiology & Surveillance II

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Switzerland

“Humoral immunity to enteroviruses across diverse serum cohorts from Switzerland, Ghana, and Tanzania.”

Prof. Kevin Messacar

Clinical Insights

University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA

“A Two-Way Lens: Clinical Insights Into and From Multimodal Enterovirus Surveillance.”

Florian Zwagemaker

Bioinformatics & Tools

National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Netherlands

“Ten Years of Modernizing Pathogen Data Infrastructure: How Scalable Platforms Enable Enterovirus Surveillance.”

Prof. Emma B. Hodcroft

Closing Keynote

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Switzerland

Venue

The symposium will take place at a former monastery in Disentis, offering a beautiful setting for discussions and informal exchange.

Location

Hotel Kloster Disentis

Disentis, Switzerland

A former Benedictine monastery now converted into a hotel, combining historic charm with simple, modern facilities. Surrounded by the Swiss Alps, it provides a quiet environment ideal for focused discussions.

Travel & arrival

Disentis is accessible by public transport with scenic rail connections through the Alps:

By train: Disentis/Mustér station has regular connections via Chur or Andermatt. ~10 min walk uphill

From Zurich: ~2.5 hours with one change in Chur
From Basel: ~3.5 hours with one change in Chur

By car: Via Chur or Oberalp Pass; parking available on site

Train travel is recommended for convenience and sustainability.

Accommodation & costs

Accommodation is arranged by the organizers. All participants will stay at Hotel Kloster Disentis, either in the main building or in the house next door, which is also part of the hotel. Meals, talks, and poster sessions all take place at the main venue.

Single and double rooms available*
All meals included
Simple, comfortable rooms in the monastery setting
Some rooms are located in the house next door, a 1-2 minute walk from the main building
Room assignments will be provided at check-in and conference registration

Registration covers accommodation, meals, materials, and workshops. Travel to Disentis is not included. We offered a limited number of travel grants for students with limited funds, but the application deadline has now passed.

*Students will be housed in double rooms

Accessibility

Most main conference areas are accessible. As a historic building, some areas may involve stairs or uneven floors. Please reach out in advance if you have specific requirements so we can help coordinate.

Activities

To enable networking and help build up connections between participants, we plan to make the most of our unique Swiss surroundings by incorporating activity options (included in registration) - stay tuned to find out more!

Travel in Switzerland

Train tickets in Switzerland can be expensive; booking in advance can allow you to save money. A flexible ticket from Zurich airport to Disentis can cost 71CHF. A day-saver ticket booked in advance could be as low as 52CHF - check for them on the SBB website.