Professor Markus Melloh

Head of School of Public Health and Social Work
Faculty of Health
Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Welcome message for 2024 ECAPH symposium:

It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the International Symposium on Ecosystem Change, Infectious Diseases Transmission and Early Warning organised by the Australia-China Centre of Public Health at QUT.

Climate change presents a complex array of environmental transformations that significantly impact the spread and dynamics of infectious diseases, posing profound implications for public health. This conference serves as an important platform to explore the complex relationship between ecosystem change and infectious diseases, with a focus on advancing our understanding and response strategies while also providing an opportunity for collaborations and sharing of ideas.

I encourage you to engage deeply with the presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities available throughout the conference. Your collective insights, experiences, and research findings will undoubtedly contribute to our shared goal of addressing these pressing issues and fostering sustainable solutions.

Thank you for joining us in this important endeavour. Together, let us harness our knowledge and expertise to confront the challenges posed by ecosystem change and infectious disease transmission, ultimately working towards a healthier and more resilient future for all.

Professor Wenbiao Hu

Symposium Convenor
Leader, Ecosystem Change and Population Health 
(ECAPH) Research Group
Director, Australia-China Centre for Public Health
School of Public Health and Social Work
Faculty of Health
Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
Victoria Park Road Q4059

On behalf of the Symposium Organising Committee, I warmly welcome you to the International Symposium on Ecosystem Change, Infectious Disease Transmission and Early Warning on 15th and 16th October 2024. This symposium will be conducted in a hybrid format, combining online and on-site meeting. The on-site meeting will be held at Gardens Point Campus, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. The symposium is supported by the National Foundation for the Australia-China Relations of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia.

As the effects of climate change worsen, environmental stressors are increasingly contributing to a heightened risk of spillover events of novel and emerging infectious diseases alongside increasing range and frequency of existing infectious diseases outbreaks. As the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted, understanding ecosystem impacts on emerging infectious diseases and detecting early signals of future outbreaks are essential for timely responses and mitigating potential effects on health and economies, while international cooperation is more important than ever. As technological capacity has increased, the potential for innovative surveillance methods, highly complex spatiotemporal modelling, and real-world research translations has grown.

This symposium aims to foster impactful discussions from experts in infectious disease epidemiology, environmental epidemiology, statistical modelling, and early warning systems by providing a hybrid forum for sharing perspectives, experiences, and research findings via high-calibre oral presentations and e-posters exploring the impact of ecosystem changes on the transmission of infectious diseases. We will have more than 50 prestigious speakers in this two-day symposium, who will be sharing their perspectives on the six main themes. This symposium will enhance the scientific foundation for establishing early warning systems for infectious diseases, while promoting and cultivating research collaboration in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Join us for insightful keynote presentations, engaging panel discussions, and interactive workshops designed to facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations and knowledge exchange. Whether you are a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, or student this symposium offers an opportunity to network and share important research and ideas, either online or in-person in Brisbane, Australia.

I look forward to welcoming you to this event dedicated to advancing our understanding of the complex relationship between ecosystem change and infectious disease transmission, and to developing integrated early warning surveillance for infectious diseases.

  National Foundation for Australia-China Relations of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

  Queensland University of Technology

  WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza

  Australian National University

  Queensland Health

  Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention