Dear ASTMH Community,
As we reflect on 2024, and as I cross my first official trip around the sun with ASTMH, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our community for your unwavering dedication and support. I would also like to extend a special shout-out to my predecessor, Karen A. Goraleski, and past President Dr. Linnie Golightly, who went above and beyond to support my onboarding as your new CEO.
The year was one of remarkable achievements, and none of this would have been possible without your collective commitment to our mission of advancing science for tropical medicine and global health. Here are some of the key activities and accomplishments that defined 2024 across five key pillars of our work:
Annual Meeting
The 2024 ASTMH Annual Meeting in New Orleans crossed several milestones in our ongoing efforts to deliver exceptional content and opportunities for our community. Despite a scheduling conflict with the Taylor Swift concert, we adapted quickly and managed the changes successfully (including walking long distances) to maximize the opportunity to share the latest in science for global health.
The meeting included 4,533 in-person attendees from 107 countries with 4,002 total presentations between symposium, abstract and poster presentations. I’m especially proud that we brought in groups early in their careers, like the 15 White Coats, and a powerhouse global cohort of keynote speakers: Dr. Monique Wasunna, DNDi’s Africa Ambassador; Dr. Paulin Basinga, Director of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Africa; Dr. John Amuasi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology School of Public Health; Dr. Jean-Jacque Muyembe, General Director, Institut National de Recherche Biomedical, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and last but not least, our very own inspiring Dr. Linnie Golightly, President of ASTMH.
New features were introduced to the meeting, including innovative session formats and enhanced networking opportunities though our mentorship pop-up area as well as new features in the meeting app, such as tagged sessions to make it easier to find content. Additionally, we were thrilled to see a record number of sponsored symposiums, reflecting the growing interest in and support for the Society’s work.
Membership
In 2024, our continued efforts to expand outreach and engagement were strengthened by the addition of new affiliate members. I am proud of the strides we’ve made, and we remain committed to building a community that is inclusive, welcoming and accessible to all.
Journal
Our journal maintained its position as a key resource in the field, with a strong pipeline of supplements addressing critical issues in tropical medicine. These special issues continue to attract leading research and thought leadership, contributing to the advancement of knowledge. Our staff team is especially proud of the supplement published in September just ahead of President Jimmy Carter’s 100
th birthday as a tribute to all that the Carters and The Carter Center have done in the fight against Neglected Tropical Disease. As part of our ongoing evolution, we began the search for our next Editor-in-Chief to guide the
Journal into its next phase, ensuring we continue to deliver high-quality, impactful content to our community.
Fellowships and Grants
The 2024 Annual Meeting marked the exciting launch of the Dominic Kwiatkowski Fellowship, created to honor the legacy of Dr. Kwiatkowski and his contributions to the field of malaria genomics. This new fellowship will support the next generation of researchers and practitioners based in endemic regions advancing the field of malaria genomics. We are grateful to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for partnering with us on this initiative and to add this to our diverse range of grant and fellowship offerings.
Policy and Advocacy
This year, we made significant strides in both domestic and international policy advocacy. In Washington, we continued to engage with lawmakers and policy influencers to raise awareness of the continued need to invest in research for global health. We also expanded our advocacy efforts multilaterally, including health related-meetings on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly and High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance. These efforts are crucial in ensuring that the voices of our members and the populations we serve are heard on the global stage.
Looking to 2025
As we reflect on 2024, I am filled with pride for all we’ve accomplished together. The support of our community and the tireless dedication of our staff have made this a year of great progress. ASTMH President Dr. David Fidock and I look forward to the opportunities and challenges that 2025 will bring, and confident we will continue to build on this momentum in the years to come.
The theme for our 2025 Annual Meeting in Toronto will be “United for Science in Global Health”, a theme we will amplify in our bipartisan advocacy activities here in Washington, DC and all our engagement and outreach efforts.
Thank you once again for your commitment to ASTMH and for all that you do to advance our shared vision of a healthier, more equitable world.
Warm regards,
Jamie Bay Nishi
Chief Executive Officer
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene