IDI Spring 2025 Events Highlights

July 9, 2025

IDI Trainee Association (TA) Day

The 4th annual IDI-TA Day was held on April 23, 2025. The event featured trainee presentations, networking opportunities, and a keynote address by Dr. Mitchell Kronenberg, professor and president emeritus, La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Several trainees received awards for their presentations. Learn more here.

Twelve individuals standing in front of a large screen displaying 'Thank you for attending the 4th Annual IDI-TA Day!' in a room with wooden paneled walls; group includes a mix of casual and formal attire.

Host-Microbe Interactions in the Digestive Tract Workshop

The Host Defense and Microbial Biology (HDMB) Thematic Program hosted the "Host-Microbe Interactions in the Digestive Tract" workshop on April 24, 2025. This all-day workshop featured short talks, a funding-focused discussion, a networking reception, and two keynote speakers: Dr. Mitchell Kronenberg and Dr. Kathryn Patras, assistant professor, Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine.

Conference room with attendees seated at tables, watching a presentation titled 'Bacterial functional heterogeneity in the host environment' by Gina Lewin, PhD, displayed on a large screen.

HDMB Rising Star Seminar

The HDMB Thematic Program hosted its annual HDMB Rising Star Seminar on May 16, 2025. The event featured a keynote address by Dr. Batbileg Bor, associate member of staff, ADA Forsyth Institute.

IDI VEP Distinguished Seminars

The Virsuses and Emerging Pathogens (VEP) Thematic Program hosted an IDI Distinguished Seminar on March 24, 2025. The event featured a keynote address by Dr. Thomas Gallagher, professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

The VEP Thematic Program hosted a second IDI Distinguished Seminar on June 27, 2025. The event featured a keynote address by Dr. Ilhem Messaoudi Powers, professor and chair, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Lecture hall with attendees seated at tables, viewing a presentation on 'Increased Incidence of Malignant Mesothelioma is Age Dependent,' with graphs displayed on dual screens and the presenter standing beside a podium.

IDI/CVM Tick Webinar

The IDI and the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) partnered to host the webinar, "Protecting You, Your Family, and Your Animals from Ticks". Tick experts Drs. Tim McDermott, assistant professor, Ohio State Extension; and Risa Pesapane, associate professor, Veterinary Preventive Medicine, CVM, presented to over 350 internal and external webinar atendees. The recording can be watched here.

IDI Tick Outreach Event

The IDI participated in the COSI Big Science Celebration on May 3, 2025, marking the fifth year that the IDI participated in this major outreach event. The IDI educated attendees on tick species, safety, and tick-borne disease.

Booth at the COSI Science Festival featuring a banner that reads 'Tick Tock, Tick Talk' and 'The Ohio State University - Infectious Diseases Institute,' with four individuals posing under the tent and tables displaying educational materials.

Ethiopian Delegation Visit

IDI and ERIK leadership met with members of a delegation of Ethiopian higher education research administrators during their recent visit to Ohio State. Dr. Mike Oglesbee, IDI director, and Dr. Loren Wold, ERIK senior associate vice president, provided an overview of the IDI and Ohio State’s interdisciplinary research infrastructure. The visit was organized and hosted by the Global One Health initiative (GOHi), a key IDI partner. Learn more here.

Group of people seated around a conference table in a meeting room, viewing a presentation on a large wall-mounted screen.