Scientific programme

The International Wildlife Disease Modelling Conference will bring together researchers, modellers, practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders to explore how modelling can improve our understanding of wildlife diseases and support surveillance, preparedness, management and response. 

The conference aims to showcase current research and practice, strengthen the international wildlife disease modelling community, and identify priorities for future collaboration across disciplines and sectors. 

While a broad range of contributions is welcomed, the conference is structured around three fundamental questions that underpin wildlife disease modelling: 

Conference themes

WHY? → WHAT? → HOW?

Why are we modelling? → What should we model? → How should we build it? 

This framework follows the lifecycle of wildlife disease modelling, from identifying a decision need, through scientific model design, to the development and evaluation of trustworthy modelling tools. 

Day 1 – WHY? 

Commissioning and using models for decisions 

What decisions need to be made and how can modelling support them? 

Day 2 – WHAT? 

Designing models of wildlife disease systems 

What should models represent and how should they represent it? 

Day 3 – HOW? 

Building robust, reusable and trustworthy models 

How do we translate scientific model designs into software and tools that can be trusted for research and decision-making? 

Across all three days, participants will consider: 

What needs to happen next? 

Future opportunities and challenges will therefore be explored throughout the programme rather than within a single session. 

Contributing to the conference 

While the conference programme follows the progression from decision need, through model design, to implementation, most modelling projects span multiple stages of this lifecycle. 

The contribution themes therefore reflect the breadth of work undertaken by the wildlife disease modelling community rather than specific stages of the conference programme. 

We welcome contributions from researchers, government agencies, international organisations, practitioners, research software engineers, and modellers from related disciplines. 

Contribution themes 

Modelling wildlife disease systems 

Development and application of models to improve understanding of wildlife diseases and disease systems. 

Examples include: 

  • disease-specific modelling studies 

  • wildlife-human-livestock interfaces 

  • vector-borne disease modelling 

  • forecasting and surveillance 

  • model validation and uncertainty 

  • generic and reusable frameworks 

  • novel modelling methodologies 

Using models for decisions and action 

Application of modelling to support preparedness, surveillance, policy development, management and outbreak response. 

Examples include: 

  • decision-maker and stakeholder engagement 

  • defining modelling requirements 

  • preparedness and response planning 

  • operational policy support 

  • communicating uncertainty 

  • lessons learned from implementation 

Advancing the field 

Future priorities, emerging challenges and opportunities for capability development. 

Examples include: 

  • artificial intelligence and machine learning 

  • disease X preparedness 

  • horizon scanning and foresight 

  • future surveillance systems 

  • workforce development and training 

  • international collaboration 

  • cross-disciplinary approaches 

Abstract submission guidance