The Jornadas GHTM 2025 began on the morning of April 28th at the Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT-NOVA), bringing together researchers, healthcare professionals, students, and institutional partners for a day of insightful discussions and scientific exchange in the field of global health and tropical medicine. The event was held in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and remote participation via Zoom, which broadened its reach to a global audience.
Opening Remarks
The event officially opened with a welcome address from Filomeno Fortes, Director of IHMT-NOVA, followed by a presentation from Miguel Viveiros, Scientific Coordinator of GHTM, highlighting the major achievements of the past five years and the key areas of focus for the upcoming period.
Session Hosted by THOP – TB, HIV, and Opportunistic Diseases and Pathogens
The first scientific session, organized by the THOP research group, focused on innovative research addressing some of the most pressing infectious disease challenges. Michael Jordan delivered the keynote, exploring the emergence of integrase strand transfer inhibitor resistance and its implications for antiretroviral treatment and prevention programs in low- and middle-income countries. The session continued with insights from Liliana Rodrigues, via Zoom, who discussed drug repurposing for antibacterial agents, and Ana Abecasis, who presented findings from the EuCARE project, which aims to advance epidemic preparedness across Europe.
Gonçalo Queirós was the final speaker in this session, presenting on the genetic diversity of the HIV-1 capsid coding region in Angola and its implications for primary resistance to Lenacapavir. However, midway through his talk, a major power outage struck Portugal, forcing the venue to switch to emergency generators to maintain essential operations. Despite this challenging situation, the session continued, reflecting the resilience and commitment of both the speakers and participants.
DxHub – Point-of-Care Innovations in Infectious Disease Diagnostics
The morning continued with a session led by Ana Paula Arez, introducing DxHub, an Excellence Hub funded by Horizon Europe that aims to connect Greek and Portuguese innovation ecosystems to advance infectious disease diagnostic solutions at the Point-of-Care, with a strong emphasis on the One Health approach. Hélia Sales, from the ITQB-NOVA Innovation Office and responsible for project management at NOVA, presented the hub’s mission to strengthen innovation capacity and foster a sustainable innovation ecosystem.
As part of the hub’s first phase, GHTM is leading two pilot projects. Márcia Medeiros provided insights into the MalPocMalaria initiative, which focuses on innovative diagnostics for malaria, while Sofia Sebra and Isabel Maurício introduced a pioneering protocol for pathogen detection in wastewater, highlighting the potential of early-warning systems in public health.
Unfortunately, as power was not restablished, the organizers were ultimately forced to suspend the event after this session, prioritizing the safety and comfort of all participants.
Looking Ahead
After this unexpected interruption, the Jornadas GHTM 2025 will resume on May 30th, 2025, at IHMT-NOVA and online via Zoom.
📅 For more information and to register, please visit: Jornadas GHTM 2025 | 28 ABRIL & 30 MAIO – GHTM
We will continue to share updates as the event progresses and look forward to more inspiring discussions and groundbreaking research insights.