CURE-KY's Infectious Diseases Research Day 2026

We invite you to register for CURE-KY’s Infectious Diseases Research Day 2026, a one-day, multidisciplinary gathering of infectious disease researchers and trainees from across the University of Kentucky. This year’s program is organized around three themed scientific sessions — Infection During Pregnancy, Pathogen Surveillance, and Interventions and Treatments — and will feature trainee (graduate student and postdoctoral) poster presentations, a 3-Minute Thesis competition, and invited keynote and faculty speakers from the University of Kentucky.

Date: March 19, 2026
Location: Harris Ballroom & Worsham Cinema, Gatton Student Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Format: In-person event with themed scientific sessions, poster sessions, 3MT competition, networking opportunities, and a CURE-KY business meeting and strategic refresh.

Find out more about CURE-KY https://medicine.uky.edu/sites/cure-ky

Registration 

Registration is OPEN for CURE-KY’s Infectious Diseases Research Day 2026. All attendees should complete the registration form, whether or not they plan to present a poster.

Registration Link – ID Day 2026
 

Abstract Submission - Deadline: March 2nd @ 8:00am

Trainees (graduate students and postdoctoral scholars) are invited to submit abstracts for poster presentations and to indicate whether they would like to be considered for the 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. All abstract submissions are guaranteed a position in the poster session, and a subset will be reviewed and selected for the 3-Minute Thesis presentations by the leadership team.

Please note: Abstract submission does not count as event registration. To participate in ID Day, you must complete both the event registration form and the abstract submission form.

Abstract Submission Link – ID Day 2026

• If you need to make changes after submitting, you may resubmit using the same email address; we will treat your most recent submission as the final version.
• Abstract submission guidelines are detailed in the submission form. Abstracts that do not meet the stated guidelines will be administratively withdrawn from consideration.

Infection During Pregnancy     |     8:35 - 9:40 a.m.

Worsham Cinema

Tom Stout, PhD (College of Agriculture, Food and Environment) - The Impact of Maternal Aging on the Normality of Early Embryonic Development in the Horse

Alex Pasternak, PhD (College of Agriculture, Food and Environment) - Fetal Response to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Virus Infection

Samantha Zambuto, PhD (College of Engineering) - Tissue Engineering Models of Pregnancy

Pathogen Surveillance              |     10:55 - 11:40 a.m.

Worsham Cinema

Rebecca Wilkes, PhD (College of Agriculture, Food and Environment) - Targeted NGS Panels for Syndromic Testing and Surveillance

Takaaki Kobayashi, MD, PhD (College of Medicine) - Surveillance Strategies for Emerging and Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens at the University of Kentucky

Ishanu Chattopadhyay, PhD (College of Medicine) - Large Science Models for Predictive Biosurveillance of Zoonotic Emergence

Interventions & Treatments     |     2:45 - 3:50 p.m.

Worsham Cinema

Vince Venditto, PhD (College of Pharmacy) - Triazine Lipids as a Platform for Efficient Vaccine Development

Patrick Grace, MD (College of Medicine) - Translating Clinical Advancements in Hepatitis C to Real World Treatment

Siva Gandhapudi, PhD (College of Medicine) - Enhancing T Cell Response to Influenza Vaccines

Poster Session 1    |     9:45 - 10:45 a.m.

Harris Ballroom 

First poster session and a morning break.

3-Minute Thesis      |     1:00 - 1:40 p.m.

Worsham Cinema 

Trainee 3-Minute Thesis presentations selected from submitted abstracts by the CURE-KY Leadership Team.

Poster Session 2     |     1:40 - 2:40 p.m.

Harris Ballroom 

Second poster session and an afternoon break.

CURE-KY Business Meeting & Strategic Refresh     |     4:00 - 4:45 p.m.

Worsham Cinema

The Leadership team will provide a CURE-KY business update and strategic conversation, reviewing major accomplishments and ongoing activities—including flagship events, the travel awards program, and the high school fellowship initiative. She will then invite attendees to help shape the consortium’s next phase through an open discussion of future priorities, new program ideas, and opportunities to expand CURE-KY’s impact across the University of Kentucky and the Commonwealth.

Closing Remarks & Conference Wrap-up                   |     4:45 - 5:00 p.m.

Worsham Cinema