11th International Conference on Cryptococcus and Cryptococcosis (ICCC)

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ABSTRACT This proposal requests partial support for the 11th International Conference on Cryptococcus and Cryptococcosis (ICCC) to be held in Kampala, Uganda, January 10-14, 2022. Cryptococcosis accounts for 15% of AIDS-related deaths globally. Cryptococcal meningitis remains the most common neuroinfection among all adults in Sub-Saharan Africa and continues to be a major threat to a growing number of non-HIV immunocompromised persons. The broad and long-term goal of this ICCC is to bring together the world's leading researchers in this expanding field to foster cross-disciplinary discussions, research, and clinical collaborations to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of Cryptococcus pathogenicity and best management of cryptococcosis. The specific aims of this meeting will be to convene leading experts whose expertise covers critical areas within this field, as well as early career and junior investigators, students, and postdocs. We anticipate hosting 300 participants. The program will be structured into 17 sessions covering the diverse properties and characteristics of the pathogen as well as host susceptibility and immunity, emphasizing what makes a normal host suddenly susceptible to this disease. Importantly, the conference will provide ample coverage of current and novel antifungals – ranging from pre-clinical development programs through ongoing/future clinical trials. Abstracts from junior investigators, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows will be included among those selected for oral presentation. The conference will host two poster sessions which will permit all participants to actively contribute to these topics. Of the 17 session blocks, 12 blocks will be concurrent sessions to allow for smaller working groups to meet and more students / trainees to present their abstracts. The R13 resources will go towards supporting travel grant participation by graduate students and specifically under-represented minority scholars from US and Africa who present abstracts. We will seek parity with respect to women and minorities in the selection of speakers and organizing committee, starting with 2 of the 3 ICCC co-chairs being a woman or a minority. We will target at least ~40% of plenary speakers to be women and ~10% under-represented minorities. Childcare will be provided. The 11th ICCC is significant because focuses on an important infectious disease afflicting both immunocompromised and immunocompetent people. This is the only such conference that brings together basic scientists and clinical investigators who investigate cryptococcosis. This is the first time the conference will be held in Africa with objectives: 1) to build new US-African translational research collaborations; 2) to define the important clinical, translational, and basic science research agenda to forge new avenues for novel prevention and treatment strategies.