2026 EPIC Symposium – Oct. 16, 2026
Session Description
October 16 2026
Registration is now open for the fourth annual EPIC Symposium! This year’s symposium will take place on October 16th, 2026, at the Toronto Reference Library.
Following the numerous infectious outbreaks we’ve all be tracking this year — from hantavirus and Ebola to cyclospriasis and measles — the theme for this year’s symposium will be “Outbreak readiness and response beyond borders.”
We are delighted to announce that Roger Paredes will be joining us from the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute in Catalonia, Spain. Working closely with PRECISE, Paredes played an integral role in the Andes hantavirus response in Canada. He will share his experiences international outbreak management through an enlightening keynote presentation.
The EPIC Symposium is a day-long event featuring faculty research talks, trainee flash talks and invited keynote speakers. It is open to all to attend, including industry professionals, academics outside of the University of Toronto and public health partners. The EPIC Symposium is an excellent opportunity to build new connections while also learning about all the exciting research and innovation taking place in the Toronto infectious disease landscape.
Stay tuned for more announcements on additional keynote speakers and the upcoming agenda! To register for the event, please see the event website.
Date: October 16, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Toronto Reference Library
Registration fees: Registration is free for researchers, staff and trainees at the University of Toronto and EPIC partner hospitals, as well as public health professionals. For researchers and trainees at other academic institutions and industry professionals, paid tickets are available. Registration for external attendees will open in September.
Call for flash talk presenters:
During the symposium, there will be time for trainees across the University of Toronto and EPIC’s partner hospitals to present their work as flash talks. These rapid-fire presentations ask trainees to present their projects and results in 5 minutes or less.
Trainees from any division or department are invited to present their outbreak-related work. This may include, but is not limited to, outbreak surveillance, detection, modelling, crisis communications and policy making, as well as pathogen evolution, clinical diagnostics, therapeutics and prophylaxis.
Abstracts can be submitted until September 15, 2026. There are eight positions available, and selected flash talk presenters will be notified by the first week of October. To express interest in giving a flash talk, please complete this form!