Ohio State Infectious Diseases Institute Annual Meeting Highlights Interdisciplinary Research, Collaboration and the Power of Science Communication

November 25, 2025

The Ohio State University’s Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) convened researchers, students and national partners for its Seventh Annual Meeting, underscoring the university’s leadership in infectious disease science and its commitment to advancing solutions that protect public health. The event highlighted how Ohio State’s broad academic network spanning agriculture, engineering, medicine, public health and veterinary medicine enables interdisciplinary approaches to complex challenges.

Michael Oglesbee, director of IDI, and Ravi V. Bellamkonda, executive vice president and provost, opened the meeting by outlining the critical challenges posed by infectious diseases and emphasizing the importance of sustained scientific collaboration. Oglesbee noted both persistent and emerging threats across human, animal and environmental health, while Bellamkonda recognized the institute’s expanding role in public health preparedness.

“We cannot afford complacency when it comes to infectious diseases. Vigilance must be continuous, and that demands the kind of coordinated, collaborative science that IDI exemplifies,” Bellamkonda said. “Ohio State’s breadth, our ability to bring together experts across so many fields, is a unique asset for our state and our country.”

The daylong meeting covered emerging pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, pandemic preparedness, transmission dynamics, and the intersections of human, animal, and environmental health. Science communicators Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke emphasized translating complex research into accessible narratives amid widespread misinformation and public mistrust. With 174 affiliated faculty across 11 colleges, IDI supports research from molecular mechanisms to community-level interventions and underscores the importance of clear, effective science communication.

Erin Welsh (left) and Erin Allmann Updyke (right) speak during the seventh annual Infectious Disease Institute meeting.

Interdisciplinary Program in Microbe Host Biology, supported by NIH T32 funding, IDI and the College of Medicine. The meeting also included an oral presentation by the top abstract and a poster session with more than 45 posters evaluated by judges, culminating in three poster awards. These activities showcased the breadth of student engagement and the diversity of research represented across IDI’s interdisciplinary community.

Another session highlighted recent IDI Interdisciplinary Seed Grant awardees, with presentations examining environmental and biological factors driving the spread of mosquito- and tick-borne pathogens. The work demonstrated IDI’s leadership as the state’s primary institution for vector-borne disease and surveillance research. With seed grant support and the recently launched Buckeye Tick Test, a service providing high-volume tick testing and pathogen screening for samples submitted by the public, IDI showed its commitment to translating research into practical public health tools.

Courtney Mitchell, a microbiology student at Ohio State’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Courtney Mitchell, a microbiology student in the College of Arts and Sciences, presented her work on how different strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa evolve during chronic infections and how specific mutations influence biofilm formation. “Even when the mutation is the same, we see very different behaviors depending on the strain background,” Mitchell said. “Understanding why that happens can help us better predict how chronic infections develop and how they respond to treatment.”

Afternoon keynote speaker Seema Lakdawala, PhD, associate professor and co-director of the Emory Center for Transmission of Airborne Pathogens, shared new findings on the airborne spread of respiratory viruses and the tools used to study them. Her research integrates virology, engineering, and controlled human infection studies to better understand how respiratory pathogens move through air and how those insights guide public health strategies.

Keynote speaker Seema Lakdawala, PhD, associate professor and co-director of the Emory Center for Transmission of Airborne Pathogens.

The discussions throughout the day highlighted the value of bringing together diverse expertise to advance scientific understanding and inform real-world solutions. Attendees emphasized how IDI’s collaborative structure supports research that spans disciplines, laboratories, and communities. Reflecting on the work underway across Ohio State, Lakdawala noted the strength of this approach. “The depth and interconnectedness of the infectious disease research community at Ohio State is remarkable, and the work being done here will play a critical role in how we meet future challenges.”