About the symposium
We are hosting a 3-day symposium and workshop that will take place from 22–24 April 2026 at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
The meeting will bring together researchers and public health practitioners from all career stages to share ideas, discuss methods and issues, and reflect on the future direction of this field.
Day 1: Presentations and invited talks from leading researchers.
Days 2–3: Structured workshops and discussions in small groups and plenary sessions.
The programme will focus on conceptual, methodological, and applied perspectives on the inclusion of social factors in transmission modelling.
This event is organised by Rosalind Eggo, Alexis Robert, Ioanna Thoma, Lucy Goodfellow, Beth Morgan, and Wendy Sharpe from the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases.Aims
We aim to address conceptual, methodological, and applied perspectives on inclusion of social inequalities in models of infectious disease transmission.
Indicative aims and topics include:
- Connecting theoretical frameworks on inequality with real-world data.
- Exploring methods and technical aspects of designing models that incorporate social inequalities.
- Addressing data challenges.
- Identifying key data needs from policymakers and designing analyses for use and impact.
A detailed programme will be shared with confirmed participants closer to the event.
Eligibility and funding
We invite researchers from all career stages to apply and will reserve a small number of places for early career researchers.
Applications will be evaluated based on a researcher's demonstrated interest in social inequalities and infectious disease dynamics. We are especially interested in applications from people who have current or very recent research projects in this area.
We have some funding available to help with travel and accommodation, but our budget is limited, so priority will be given to participants based in Europe. Where possible, we encourage participants to use their own funding, as this helps us support those with fewer options. If that’s not possible, please don’t let it stop you from applying - we’ll do our best to provide support within our budget. For applicants outside Europe, support for long-haul travel is extremely limited.
Applications
Interested applicants are required to complete an online application form here by Friday January 23, 2026, 17:00 (GMT). We will notify successful applicants by February 10, 2026.
To keep discussions focused and interactive, we expect to invite around 30 participants. We encourage you to share a clear and concise application that helps us understand your interest and what you hope to contribute.
We ask that participants attend all three days of the symposium.
We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, particularly those from groups historically underrepresented in in this field.
Contact details
For questions about the symposium, accessibility, or application process please contact us at the link below: