Attending Annual Meeting of American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Chicago, USA

​Atikah Fitria, our very own dedicated PhD student, recently had the exciting opportunity to represent MEcoH in the annual meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) in Chicago, USA, from October 18th to 22nd, 2023.

At the conference, she presented her research topics through poster presentations. The first explored the population genomics of Aedes aegypti in Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. The second delved into the detection of Wolbachia in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes using ddRAD-Seq technology.

​The ASTMH annual meeting is a significant event in the world of tropical diseases and hygiene research, attracting experts and professionals from around the globe. This year's gathering saw 4,585 attendees from 119 different countries, all coming together at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Chicago.

The conference featured a wide range of research presentations, with a particular focus on malaria-related studies from African countries. Attendees also learned about recent advancements in vaccine and antiviral research for mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue and malaria. Interestingly, deployment of mosquito control in several countries around world using environment friendly approach such as Wolbachia was presented multiple times there. 

The meeting provided an excellent platform for networking and collaboration. Researchers, academicians, government officials in the health sector, and students had the chance to connect, share ideas, and expand their professional networks.

The overarching theme of this year's conference, "from evidence to action," highlighted the importance of turning research findings into practical solutions to combat tropical diseases. We thank Atikah for attending this annual meeting and hopefully becoming the seed necessary for future collaboration, sharing research findings together to drive action against tropical diseases.