Tuesday, 3rd June Lancefield International Symposium for Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases 2025

Keynote Speaker: 

Prof Liesl Zuhlke - South African Medical Research Council, South Africa

• Phase I Trial of a Peptide-based Vaccine to Prevent Group A Streptococcal Infection - Michael F. Good
• Unravelling protective immunity against pharyngeal GAS challenge in non-human primates - Charles Armitage
• A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled human challenge trial to establish the lowest penicillin concentration to prevent Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis (CHIPS). - Laurens Manning
• High dose, subcutaneous injections of benzathine penicillin G (SCIP) to prevent rheumatic fever: A single arm, phase IIa trial of safety and pharmacokinetics - Julie Bennett
• SToP (See, Treat, and Prevent) activities for skin disease control in remote Western Australia: a cluster randomised, stepped wedge Trial - Hannah Thomas

Keynote Speakers: 

Prof Kelly Doran - University of Colorado, United States
Prof Greg Tyrrell - University of Alberta, Canada

• Interkingdom interactions with Candida albicans promote Group B Streptococcal vaginal colonization - Kelly Doran
• At the margins of society and in the middle of the iGAS story - Gregory Tyrrell
• Exploring mucosal humoral immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes in oral fluid within a longitudinal household cohort study in The Gambia. - Fatoumata Camara
• Salivary signatures: mapping the dynamic human proteome in Strep A pharyngitis - Anuk D Indraratna
• Incidence of invasive group A streptococcal infections and comparison of emm types from carriage, pharyngitis, and invasive infections in Indigenous communities in the Southwest United States - Catherine Sutcliffe
• Water access, sanitation and hygiene-related risk factors for Streptococcus pyogenes carriage and infection within households in The Gambia - Edwin P Armitage
• Evaluation of clinical decision rules for diagnosis of Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis in a tropical setting - John Hart

Lancefield Society Members are invited to attend the:

Members Meeting 

Lunchtime, Tuesday 3rd June, 

The Boulevard Auditorium.

The Members Meeting will provide an update of the societies activities and will invite participants to nominate new Committee Members for The Lancefield Society.

Positions open for election:

• -President
• -Vice President
• -Treasurer

If you are interested in standing for any of these positions or wish to nominate a fellow member, please prepare your nomination and attend the meeting.

We strongly encourage all members to participate and to consider taking an active role in our leadership team. Your involvement is crucial to our ongoing success.

Please select one of three half-day tours during registration. 

• The Immune Landscape of the Tonsils: A Critical Site for Understanding Group A Streptococcus Infections - Anna A Bergonzini
• Development of a prototype for rapid point-of-care diagnosis of antibiotic-resistant Group A streptococcal and staphylococcal skin infections - Kalindu Rodrigo
• Antibody responses to conserved peptide sequences from the M-protein of group A streptococcus - David J McMillan
• Group A Streptococcus molecular point-of-care test performance in remote Australia - Janessa Pickering
• Evaluation of a Total IgG Assay for Normalisation of Antigen Specific IgG Data from Variably Collected Capillary Blood Samples - Anna Takahashi
• Possibility of developing a biomarker based rapid screening test for ARF/RHD - Brenda Vo
• Investigating host-dependent antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pyogenes - Bonnie L Hyatt
• Long-term persistence of Group A Streptococcal antibodies in a Rheumatic heart disease African cohort : A pilot study - Taariq Salie
• Identification of RNA Biomarkers for Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) - Lara Oberski
• Improved detection of lymphocyte markers associated with rheumatic fever using engineered antibodies and multi-omics - Chad W Euler
• Comparative analysis of Strep A bacterial detection methods in an Australian paediatric urban pharyngitis surveillance study   - Anna Takahashi
• A plasma protein biomarker signature that differentiates acute rheumatic fever from related clinical presentations - Tim Barnett
• Development of a 10-plex electrochemiluminescent assay for quantifying specific serological immunoglobulin isotype and subclass responses to Streptococcus pyogenes antigens  - Michael Morici
• Systematic review and narrative synthesis of studies evaluating the characteristics of current Strep A molecular point-of-care tests towards implementation for Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) prevention. - Asha Bowen
• Laboratory performance evaluation of three Strep A molecular point-of-care tests for settings at high risk of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) - Asha Bowen
• Emerging role of biomarker-driven diagnostics in post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis - Tawakaltu Abdulrasheed-Adeleke
• Circulating prothymosin alpha and immunoglobulin G3 in acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: A case control study - Gul Afshan
• Comparison of antibiotic resistance patterns of S. pneumoniae in cases of invasive pneumococcal disease and paired nasopharyngeal colonization isolates. - Morr cham
• Molecular diagnostics improve the detection of pathogenic streptococci causing complicated community-acquired pneumonia in children - Erin C Ho
• Differential immune responses in Group A Streptococcal Necrotizing Soft Tissue infections. - Laura Marcela Palma Medina
• How to utilize a genome-scale metabolic model and iModulon in the research of Streptococcus pyogenes M1 serotype - Yujiro Hirose
• Exploring the immunological properties of Group A Streptococcus pilus - Catherine Tsai
• Characterising cross-reactive properties of the antibody response to Group A Streptococcus (GAS) and in rheumatic heart disease - Zichen He
• Investigating tropism of group A Streptococcus to epithelial and endothelial cells - Vanessa Tenaglia
• Search and characterization of novel RNA-binding proteins in Streptococcus pyogenes - Dmitriy Ignatov
• GAS regulation of zinc homeostasis during skin and soft tissue infection - Reid Wilkening
• Deciphering the pan-methylome of group A Streptococcus - August Mikucki
• Global Population Biology and Tissue Tropism Correlates for M- and FCT-Region Genes - Debra E Bessen
• Streptococcus pyogenes biofilm phenotypic and genotypic changes in response to host stressors - Georgia M McCorkell
• PrsA in group A Streptococcus: implications for pathogenesis and therapeutic targeting - Yung-Chi Chang
• Transcriptomic predictors of delayed mortality in patients with invasive group A streptococcal disease - Ville Kailankangas
• Serologic responses in patients with invasive group A streptococcal disease and concomitant throat findings - Ville Kailankangas
• Killing Strep A softly – towards standardised reagents for Streptococcus pyogenes immunoassays - Kristy I Azzopardi
• Exploring the structural basis for CovR dysregulation in Australian M1_UK Group A Streptococcus   - Jarrad Pritchard
• Detection of the hypervirulent chimeric emm4 lineage in Australia - Phoebe K Shaw
• New insights into the regulatory networks that control streptococcal superantigen production - Stephan Brouwer
• ‘RHD in a dish’ -- Investigating the pathogenesis of Rheumatic Heart Disease using stem cell-derived heart valve organoids. - Serene Yeow
• Persisting Group A Streptococcal antibodies in rheumatic heart disease (RHD): a systematic review and meta-analysis - Caitlin-Joy Meyer
• Streptococcus pyogenes is readily aerosolised but survives poorly on plastic: a comparison of 8 pathogenic species - Christopher Smith
• Streptococcus pyogenes evades antibody recognition through decoration of the Group A Lancefield antigen with glycerol phosphate - Astrid Hendriks
• Immune Responses In Siblings With Acute Rheumatic Fever – A Case Study - Natalie Lorenz
• Role of streptococcal inhibitor of complement and streptococcal nephritogenic antigens in the pathogenesis of post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis - Mohammad Raguib Munif
• Pharmacokinetics of intramuscular benzathine penicillin G: a meta-analysis investigating time spent above target concentrations   - Shakayla Walley
• Complement factor H and susceptibility to rheumatic heart disease - Tom Parks
• Novel Transporters Impacting the Pathophysiology of Group A Streptococcal Infections - Kevin S McIver
• Construction of isogenic M1_UK mutants lacking scarlet fever-associated exotoxins    - Jasmine Wells
• Profiling inflammatory resolution over 6 months in acute rheumatic fever - Francis M Middleton
• Respiratory Group A Strep infections in stem cell models reveals divergent airway and alveolar epithelial cell responses - Rhiannon Werder
• Group A streptococcal infection outcomes: clues from salivary sialic acid and comparative genomic analyses - Patricia Ryan
• Distinct responses of conventional and unconventional T cells to Group A Streptococcus in healthy adults - Mohammad Ali
• Group A Streptococcus and its virulent phage: playing ‘hide and seek’ in the human host - Jenny M Steinmetz
• Group A Streptococcus modulates AMPK-mTOR signaling via NADase and inhibits p62-dependent oxidative stress response - Takashi Nozawa
• Differences in glycan binding modulate M1 Streptococcus pyogenes tissue tropism - Kristin K Huse
• Regulatory mechanisms of GAC side chain modifications in Group A Streptococcus - Lorenzo G De la Parra Soto
• Multidrug resistance in group B streptococcus causing urinary tract infection exposes an erythromycin-driven protective effect against oxidative stress - Kelvin GK Goh
•  Can Group B Streptococcus (GBS) strain diversity in carriage be recovered from low-abundance metagenomic samples? A simulation study - Ruchita Balasubramanian
• An adaptable open-source pipeline to perform genome-wide association studies in group B Streptococcus (GBS) - Lea cavalli
• Multidrug resistance in group B streptococcus causing urinary tract infection exposes an erythromycin-driven protective effect against oxidative stress - Glen Ulett
• The longitudinal characterisation of immune responses in the Rat Autoimmune Valvulitis model enables the assessment of disease severity and the identification of biomarkers for ARF/RHD screening - Rukshan Ahamed Mohamed Rafeek
• Biofilm formation and biofilm dispersal with oral streptococci - Yashuan Chao
• Mechanism of host-inflammatory response against Streptolysin S produced by Streptococcus anginosus via intracellular Ca²⁺-influx - Yugo Yamamori
• Glyburide as an adjunct agent to treat inflammatory changes associated with post-streptococcal cardiac pathology - Jasen Elford
• Pneumococcal-like capsule polysaccharide loci among Streptococcus mitis bloodstream isolates from infective endocarditis cases in the UK and Ireland from 2001-2016 - Akuzike Kalizang'oma
• The impact of glucose on motility and colorectal cancer cell invasion in Streptococcus gallolyticus subspecies gallolyticus and related species - Adam Ralph
• The sil system of Streptococcus anginosus: A key factor for survival in mixed cultures - Verena Vogel
• The stabilization of streptolysin S secreted from β-hemolytic streptococci in the presence of human serum albumin. - Atsushi Tabata
• Strategic and scientific contributions of human challenge trials for Strep A vaccine development: facts versus fantasy - Yara-Natalie Abo
• Functional immunoassay performance across the life course in the Gambia: association with binding IgG titre to vaccine antigens - Alexander J Keeley
• Investigating the role of antibodies to emm type-specific M peptides in natural immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes in The Gambia - Alexander Keeley
• Human serological assays characterization to evaluate the response against Group A Streptococcus vaccine in clinical trial sera - Omar Rossi
• Discovery-based approaches to advance mucosal vaccine strategies against Strep A - Maria Emilia Duenas
• Development of a High-Performance Anion Exchange Chromatography Method for PolyRhamnose Quantification in Group A Streptococcus Vaccines. - SoJung An
• An update on pilus-based vaccine development to prevent Group A Streptococcal infections - Jacelyn MS Loh
• Advancing group a streptococcus vaccine development: immunological insights and prospects for implementation in nigeria - Aliyu Evuti Haruna
• Developing a Next-Generation Vaccination Strategy Leveraging Traditional Approaches to Combat Streptococcus pyogenes (StrepA) Infections - Manisha Pandey
• Antibody responses to Streptococcus pyogenes in UK adults over the COVID-19 pandemic period - Amelia Lias
• The ‘RHAPSEDA’ Platform for the Recombinant Production of Affordable and Universal Glycoconjugate Vaccines for Strep A - Helge C Dorfmueller
• "iSOoTH: A study on children's sore throats to inform the development of a Group A Streptococcal vaccine - Julie Bennett
• Characterizing protective immune responses following repetitive nasopharyngeal infections by Streptococcus pyogenes in HLA-transgenic mice - Aanchal Rishi
• Parenteral vaccination with a super immunogen targeting M-protein provides unprecedented protection against group A streptococcus (StrepA) respiratory infections - Victoria Ozberk
• CHIVAS-M1: No strain, no gain. Choosing an M1_UK human challenge strain. - Kristy I Azzopardi
• Delineating Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses Induced by a Peptide-Based Vaccine for Long-Term Protection Against Streptococcus pyogenes - Despena Vedis
• Putting public enemy #M1_UK in the human challenge crosshairs - Kimberly Davis
• Where did all the antibodies go? Exploring Immunity Gaps to Group A Streptococcus and other endemic respiratory pathogens following pandemic Restrictions in Aotearoa New Zealand - Natalie Lorenz
• Towards a Human Whole Blood in Tube Assay to Measure Cellular Immunity to Streptococcus pyogenes Vaccine Antigens - Natalie Caltabiano
• Developing a new Vaccine against Streptococcus Pyogenes - Jes JDI Dietrich
• A Clinically Relevant Cationic Adjuvant System Induces Th17 T Cells Involved in Skin and Upper Airway Infections with Streptococcus pyogenes - Kristoffer Mazanti Melchiors
• Systems approach to group A streptococcal vaccine discovery using saRNA - Jakub Hanczak
• Analysis of technologies to produce glycoconjugate vaccines against Group A Streptococcus - Alexandra Shaw
• Models of Vaccine Finance with an Application to Potential Group A Strep Vaccines - Daniel Tortorice
• Development of a whole blood assay to detect Group A Streptococcus (GAS) specific T cell responses and application to school-based studies in The Gambia - Ya Jankey Jagne
• System Serology Reveals Correlates of Functional Group A Streptococcus Antibody Responses In Children With Pharyngitis - Reuben McGregor
• Building laboratory capacity to advance Strep A vaccine development in Aotearoa New Zealand - Aimee Paterson
• Optimizing formulation of the Group A Streptococcus mRNA vaccine candidate Combo#5 - Brody Pullinger
• Investigating correlates of protection in the non-human primate model of pharyngitis by comparison of Combo#5 vaccines adjuvanted with Alum and SMQ - Steven J Hancock
• Human antibodies to M-protein epitope-based vaccines demonstrate binding to Streptococcus pyogenes (StrepA) and bactericidal activity - Christie T M Short
• Colonization with Streptococcus pyogenes elicits robust B cell responses against conserved vaccine antigens in paediatric tonsils - Catherine Pitt
• Antibody Responses to Streptococcus pyogenes antigens in an Australian Longitudinal Paediatric Cohort Study - Michael Morici
• Protective properties of Enn surface proteins against Group A Streptococcus. - Cyprien Widomski
• Preliminary probe into the potency of streptococcus oralis  in the mitigation of aflatoxins and ochratoxins contamination   - Muhamad Haruna Garba
• Group A Streptococcus-derived vesicles as an antigen presenting platform for vaccine development - Meztlli Gaytan
• Safety and immunogenicity of a Group B Streptococcus vaccine in participants aged 55-75 years - Bengt Johansson Lindbom
• Mucosal delivery of protein and mRNA vaccines against Group B Streptococcus - Caroline Winkel
• Survival to opsonophagocytosis killing assay (OPKA) of group B Streptococcus strains recovered in Brazil - Tatiana Pinto
• Vaccinee-derived monoclonal antibodies against GBS highlight functional clusters on the AlpN antigens - Wael Bahnan
• Use of Dried Blood Spot Samples for Quantification of Group B Streptococcus Alpha-like Surface Protein Antibodies - May Murra
• A streptococcal vaccine to prevent cellulitis in older adults - Laurens Manning
• Molecular dissection of Streptococcus suis surface glycans reveals conserved glycan motifs with implications in vaccine development - Nina M. van Sorge
• Pericardial Effusion in Acute Rheumatic Fever - Masood Sadiq