Unique Liverpool Summer School welcomes delegates from around the world

The University of Liverpool and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) welcomed delegates from 26 countries to this year’s European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Summer School.

ESCMID is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infection-related diseases. Every year the organisation runs a week-long programme that covers a broad range of topics in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases.

This year the 18th ESCMID Summer School took place in Liverpool between 29 June – 5 July. The Summer School Co-ordinators this year were Professor William Hope from the University of Liverpool and Professor Nick Beeching from LSTM. The event was sponsored by Liverpool based Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases Research (CEIDR).

The course was attended by 80 delegates made up of young MDs at the end of their specialty training as well as biologists, pharmacists, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows working in the infection field.

Professor William Hope, said: “We were delighted to host the prestigious ESCMID summer school in Liverpool this year. This prestigious event saw a range of current and future international experts in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology explored existing and emerging topics.”

Dr Nick Beeching, said: “We were particularly pleased with the level of engagement by all course participants and also welcome the opportunity to be involved in the work of ESCMID which, for more than 30 years, has been an influential component in the professional lives of microbiologists and infectious disease specialists and now reaches more than 7,000 individual and 30,000 affiliated members around the world. We are grateful to ESCMID for sponsoring and arranging this meeting and choosing Liverpool as the venue for 2019.”

Dr Fiona Marston, Director of CEIDR, said: “CEIDR is pleased to have provided sponsorship for the ESCMID Summer School which brought together in Liverpool a group of high quality postgraduate scientists. Meeting groups of the participants towards the end of the Summer School I was struck by the positive impact of the programme in informing and inspiring the participants.”

Professor Önder Ergönül, Chair, lnfectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Department, lstanbul, Turkey, ESCMID Executive Committee Education and Communication Officer, said: “The participants enjoyed the rich programme the Summer School offered and were also able to develop new friendships and network. The participants and speakers also had the opportunity to learn about the rich and interesting history of Liverpool and the significance of the medical institutions in the area.”