Pasteur Network Annual Meeting 2026 will take place in Laval, Québec

The Pasteur Network Annual Meeting (PNAM) 2026, hosted by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), will take place from November 3–5 in Laval, Québec. This flagship event will convene leaders, researchers and public health experts from across the Pasteur Network and beyond, around artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in the fight against infectious diseases. All official programme activities will take place in Laval, except for selected social events. PNAM 2026 comes weeks after INRS extended its Pasteur Network membership to all five of its research centres.

AI and Emerging Technologies at the Heart of the Discussions

How can AI and emerging technologies help us detect, interpret and respond to infectious disease threats earlier? On November 4 and 5, ten sessions, including four roundtables, will follow this question from data to action:

• epidemic intelligence: turning surveillance, laboratory, public health and environmental data into useful insights for preparedness and decision-making;
• genomics and OMICS: making sense of vast amounts of data on pathogens, hosts and their interactions;
• medical countermeasures: moving from discovery to action to develop, produce and deploy vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics;
• complex ecosystems: better understanding the relationships between hosts, pathogens and the environment, drawing on immunology, microbiome ecology and climate science.

The roundtables will focus on the conditions for using these tools responsibly. The first will address ethics, governance and equity: who is accountable, what is being governed, when should governance happen, and how can it be put into practice? The others will explore how AI is changing research itself, and then education, without widening inequalities.

These priorities align with the Pasteur Network’s strategic vision of reinforcing epidemic preparedness, fostering sustainable and inclusive research, and advancing knowledge sharing across its global community.

Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 4 at 9:30 AM (Eastern Time, UTC−5) and will feature remarks from:

• Luc-Alain Giraldeau – Chief Executive Officer, INRS
• David Chatenet – Director, Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre
• Mario Moreira – President, Pasteur Network
• Yasmine Belkaid – Vice-President, Pasteur Network
• Rebecca Grais – Executive Director, Pasteur Network
• Ray Khalil, Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee and Deputy Mayor, City of Laval

The opening ceremony will be available to stream live on the Pasteur Network YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxK1E59dvUI

Additional highlights

• November 1–3: ahead of the meeting, the Pasteur Network Leadership Course.
• November 3: meeting of the Pasteur Network Board.
• November 4: Early Career Spotlight session, where young researchers present their work on AI and emerging technologies.
• November 4–5: poster and networking session featuring work from the Scientific Working Groups, Leadership Course participants, Climate & Health Observatory Fellows, and the DURABLE and MOOC initiatives.
• November 4: visit to Musée de la santé Armand-Frappier in Laval.
• November 5: forward-looking session “Research in 2030: What Will My Work Look Like?”, led by young researchers.
• November 6: alongside the PNAM, the Climate & Health Fellows meeting.

This event is organized with the support of the Faculté de médecine of Université de Montréal and Tourisme Québec.

About the Pasteur Network

The Pasteur Network is an alliance of 33 institutes that plays a crucial role in tackling global health challenges through science, innovation and public health. Its distinctive strength lies in its diversity and extensive geographic reach, spanning 25 countries across 5 continents. Recognized as a WHO non-state actor, members of the Pasteur Network are frequently embedded in local Ministries of Health. The Network sustains a global infrastructure, including over 50 national and regional reference laboratories, multiple biosafety level 3 laboratories and 17 WHO Collaborating Centres. (www.pasteur-network.org)

Press contact: Hichem Ben Hassine – Contact us

About INRS

INRS is a university dedicated exclusively to research and graduate training in strategic sectors for Québec. Since its founding in 1969, it has contributed to Québec’s economic, social and cultural development and ranks first in Québec for research intensity. It brings together five interdisciplinary research and training centres in Québec City, Montréal, Laval, Varennes and Charlevoix: Eau Terre Environnement, Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Urbanisation Culture Société and Ruralités durables . Its community includes nearly 1,500 students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty members and staff.

Press contact: Julie Robert – julie.robert@inrs.ca – 514 971-4747