"Second International Symposium on One Health Research: Improving Food Security and Resilience."
Galveston, Texas — April 15-17, 2026

Location: The Tremont House,
2300 Ship Mechanic Row St, Galveston, Texas 77550

Supporters: UTMB Chief Research Office, UTMB One Health,
Galveston National Lab and Institute for Human Infections and Immunity

Email UTMBOneHealth@utmb.edu for registration information.

Veterinarians - Know that once again we plan to seek more than 5 CE credits from the AAVSB for attending the Symposium

Symposium Rationale

Complex public health problems such as emerging infectious diseases, occupational health risks faced by agriculture workers, and ongoing concerns with food safety require multidisciplinary and inter-institutional approaches to protect the security, resiliency, and sustainability of the global food supply.

Our international Symposium Planning Committee of diverse experts is designing an exciting program to engage leaders in agricultural industries, public health, veterinary health, food safety, and environmental health institutions. The Symposium will be unique in that food productions experts will be centrally featured with the goal of identifying common ground from which new interdisciplinary research partnerships might arise and lead to better food resilience. We will feature lectures from the beef, dairy, egg & poultry, pork, aquaculture, fresh produce, and processed food industries. Research topics include emerging infectious diseases (viral, bacterial, and other), and the environmental, social, and public communication factors that impact Food Security.  We will particularly highlight successful One Health mitigation approaches to Food Security problems. We will also feature abstract and poster competitions with monetary awards for junior investigators. We will again seek to publish abstracts and select research presentations (full articles) in Elsevier’s One Health Journal in special online issues.

Symposium Objectives

  • To promote a transdisciplinary, 'One Health' research approach focusing on food security in tackling complex problems that plague food production, human (worker and consumer) health, animal health, and environmental health.

  • To share research knowledge regarding complex problems affecting food security and testing potential solutions concerning these complex problems

  • To build community and new collaborations between diverse professionals and their numerous institutions that work in the area of food safety, recognizing that food security cannot be addressed by a single organizational entity.

  • To recognize and promote excellence among junior professionals working in research areas amenable to One Health approaches.

Agenda and Speakers

In addition to our extremely accomplished planning committee members, we are busy lining up world-class speakers who will present research-oriented data on our Symposium theme of Food Security and Resilience.

View Symposium Agenda

Download: 2024 Symposium Agenda (pdf)

Hotel Reservations

The symposium will take place at The Tremont House. The Tremont House is offering Symposium registrants a group rate of $169 (before taxes) standard room (one King bed or two doubles), the cutoff for the special conference rate is March 14, 2026. The Hotel provides complimentary wireless internet access throughout the property, including the guest rooms. Valet parking is available for $36.00 + taxes and fees for overnight parking. Group rates are available two (2) days before and after the meeting dates, based upon availability.

The Tremon House provides more than 17,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with complimentary Wi-Fi and the requisite audiovisual equipment which will provide the necessary resources for a successful meeting. The host hotel is close to additional hotels and vacation rentals for additional pricing options for meeting participants. While the host hotel does not provide in house child-care facilities, there are a number of daycare facilities within a short (less than 5-mile) radius available to the conference participants.

 

Register for Hotel Rooms here.


Travel to and within Galveston

Galveston is accessible via two airports (William H. Hobby Airport within 40 miles and George Bush Intercontinental Airport within 70 miles) with both supporting domestic and international travelers. Transportation from these airports to Galveston and within Galveston is best secured by commercial ride services such as Uber (use phone app), Lyft (use phone app), Galveston Shuttle Service, Galveston Express, or airport taxi. However, as such transportation is rather expensive, Symposium attendees may instead want to rent a vehicle.  A rented vehicle will also support their visits to Galveston sites outside of the Tremont House.  For instance, Symposium visitors may want to plan a short trip to enjoy the beach or to visit Galveston’s downtown area, many restaurants, or other tourist sites:


Abstract Travel Award Competition

While the Travel Award Competition for the best One Health abstracts closed on March 8th, we are still receiving abstracts for the poster competition until April 7th.

Downloadable Files:

  1. Research Abstract Submission Form (.docx)
  2. Guidelines for Drafting a Research Abstract (.pdf)
  3. Example: OH Symposium Abstract (.pdf)

Please send your completed Research Abstract Submission Form (file 1) and your research abstract (file 2) to UTMBOneHealth@utmb.edu. Your submission should be acknowledged in 24hrs. If not please send a query via email to Ms. Toni D'Agostino at tjdagost@utmb.edu

 

Poster Competition

To promote excellence in One Health research, particularly among junior professionals, we are including a poster competition. The poster competition will be scored by multiple planning committee members using a Food Security Poster Competition Score Card. Presenters with the highest two scores in each of three categories (six awards total) will be recognized with first and second prize certificates and cash awards (first prize $200, 2nd prize $100): High School/Undergraduate/Masters student, Doctoral student, and Postdoctoral trainee/Junior faculty.

The six winners of the poster competition will be notified by email and phone call by the evening of April 23rd and recognized in the final Symposium session the morning of April 24th. In this session, the six poster competition winners will be invited on stage and asked to give a three-minute summary of their research. Hence, in addition to drafting a poster, all poster presenters should prepare and rehearse a no more than 3-minute PowerPoint presentation.

Downloadable Files:

Collaboration with the Scientific Journal One Health

A leading online scientific journal, One Health, has graciously agreed to help sponsor and promote the Symposium.  The mission of Elsevier’s One Health journal is to provide a platform for rapid communication of high-quality scientific knowledge on inter- and intra-species pathogen transmission, bringing together leading experts in virology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, vectors and Vector-Borne diseases, tropical health, veterinary sciences, pathology, immunology, food safety, mathematical modelling, epidemiology, public health research and emergency preparedness. One Health is the official journal of the International Federation for Tropical Medicine.

One Health will publish the Symposium abstracts as a supplement to the journal at no cost to the authors.  One Health has also agreed to publish a collection of research manuscripts from among the Symposium’s best oral presentations or posters in a special issue at a 30% reduction in publication costs.

Once the special issue is set up, there will also be a page on the journal homepage dedicated to submission with instructions that will  guide prospective authors.  Speakers or poster presenters wishing to have their manuscripts considering for publication in the special issue are invited to prepare and submit their manuscript according to the journal’s instructions for authors. See: Guide for authors - One Health - ISSN 2352-7714. Manuscripts will be first screened by the journal’s editor, as well as by a subcommittee of Symposium Guest Editors.

Symposium Registration Details

We are striving to make this an affordable scientific meeting and are planning discounted early bird registration as well as reduced registration costs for trainees.

Registration Costs

Participant Category

Registration Type

Applicable Date(s)

Registration Fee

Professional

Early

by March 31, 2026

$500

 

Late

April 1 - 17, 2026

$600

Trainee (Enrolled in a full-time educational program or residency)

Early

by March 31, 2026

$60

 

Late

April 1 - 17, 2026

$100

Symposium Sponsor — Platinum Level

USDA NIFA officia logo 2024

FDAUnited States Food & Drug Administration

Symposium Sponsor —
Bronze Level


Elsevier One Health Journal

Symposium Sponsor —
Bronze Level

CEEZAD Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases

Symposium Supporter

One Health Commission logo

One Health Commission



Confirmed Speakers/Participants

View Full Listing
Please register as soon as you can such that we can plan to accommodate you in the Symposium.  Written requests for registration refunds must be postmarked on or before March 21, 2026. Cancellations submitted on or before March 21, 2026, will be refunded less a $75 meeting cancellation fee for Professional registrations and $25 for trainee registrations. No refunds will be made after March 21, 2026. Refunds are not given for no-shows. Registration substitutions from the same institution are accepted. All fees will be reimbursed if the program is cancelled.

Excursions

Post-Symposium Tour of UTMB Highlights - the
Galveston National Laboratory,
Health Education Center,
Old Red Medical Museum ,
and UTMB’s Biocontainment Unit

 

Date/time: Friday, April 17th, 1-3:30PM (light lunches and soft drinks will be provided in the GNL lecture room)

Time: Shuttles leave Tremont House (registration area) at 1 PM and return at ~4 PM. Access to the GNL requires security approval. (Visitors must sign up before April 1st)

Cost: Free

Post-Symposium half-day (4hr) guided inshore fishing trip in Galveston Bay (up to 4 persons/boat)

Date/time: Saturday April 18th, 5:30AM - 1PM
Transportation details to be arranged

Cost: $150-$200/person. Guests need bring only a hat, sunscreen, water, and a snack. Guests must have a Texas saltwater fishing license. Price varies by residence, age, and duration. A nonresident one-day saltwater license is only $16. Licenses can be purchased in many stores or via this web site:
https://www.txfgsales.com/CustomerSearch.aspx

Post-Symposium discounted tour of NASA Center Houston
NASA Center - Houston website

Date/time: Saturday April 18th, 12 noon-5PM
Shuttles leave Tremont House (registration area) at ~8:30AM and return at ~5:30PM

Cost: $21.95 + shuttle cost

Help Sponsor this Symposium with an Educational GrantUTMB is offering four levels of sponsorship:

Acknowledgement of sponsorship will be provided orally in the opening and closing statements. A welcome poster will be stationed at the registration desk recognizing our sponsors. The font size will increase related to the sponsorship level. Lastly, the journal One Health has agreed to publish a special issue based on the symposium proceedings. All sponsors will be recognized in the special issue.

To discuss offering support for the Symposium please contact UTMB’s Ms. Toni D’Agostino at tjdagost@utmb.edu or cell (409) 392-3471.


Second International One Health Symposium Planning Committee Members


The First International One Health Symposium (2024) Event Photos


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