TBnet News February 2026

anneoleischeck
5 days ago
5 min read

TBnet Annual Meeting 2026: Registration and Program

The next TBnet Annual Meeting will be held on 21^st April 2026 at the Max von Pettenkofer-Institut in Munich. This will be a very special Annual Meeting as we will be celebrating TBnet’s 20^th Birthday!

We are happy to share with you the first draft of the program.

You can register for the Annual Meeting 2026 here: https://www.tbnet.eu/details-registrierung/tbnet-annual-meeting-2026. Please register also if you would like to participate online. Registration for on-site participation will be open until April 09, 2026. Registration for online participation will be open until April 20, 2026.

Our joint dinner will take place at "Augustiner Stammhaus" (Neuhauser Straße 27, 80331 München) - on April 21 at 07:00 pm. Please register in advance (via the registration formular) to reserve your seat. Registration is possible until April 09, 2026. Food and beverages will be available for purchase à la carte. Please note that dinner is not included and must be paid separately.

TBnet Steering Committee Elections 2026

During the next General Assembly, at the TBnet Annual Meeting in Munich on 21^st April 2026, several SC member positions will be up for election. Every TBnet member working in the WHO European Region, who is interested and ready to dedicate time in driving TBnet activities is invited to apply.

Being a TBnet SC member is an exciting opportunity to:

Contribute to the advancement of TB research and clinical practice.
Use and develop leadership skills.
Support progress in science and being a member of an exciting community.

The role is voluntary and not remunerated; however, travel costs to relevant meetings (e.g., the TBnet Annual Meeting) will be reimbursed for SC members.

The call for applications to the positions will be open until 17^th March 2026.

Candidates are asked to send their CV and a one page motivation letter describing their aims for the given position (max. 300 words) to Anne Oleischeck, TBnet Admin, by email: admin@tbnet.eu.

Further information can be found here: https://www.tbnet.eu/post/call-to-members-call-for-applications-for-tbnet-steering-committee-positions-2026

Membership Fees for TBnet

In 2026 it will be 20 years since TBnet was founded. TBnet has so far operated without membership fees, based on grants and small contributions (i.e. ERS Clinical Research Collaboration, UNITE4TB, Schleswig-Holstein TB foundation). Funds are used for secretarial work, organizing meetings and the TBnet academy. The work of the Steering Committee and the members is entirely unpaid.

However, to sustainably support and grow these activities, the Steering Committee proposes the introduction of a voluntary membership fee as of 2026, as traditional funding sources are becoming increasingly difficult to access.

As it continues to grow as a collaborative platform for clinicians, researchers, and public health professionals interested in TB, we would like to introduce a two-tier membership model to run the society, strengthen our network, and support future initiatives. This will be completely at the discretion of individual members and there will be no obligation to contribute a membership fee.

We greatly appreciate all the support that TBnet has had over the years from members, academic funders and government-level funders and we want to see the network strengthen and grow over the next 20 years.

Further details can be found on the website at https://www.tbnet.eu/post/call-to-members-introduction-of-a-voluntary-tbnet-membership-fee

Christoph Lange Awarded the DZIF Prize 2025 & Oskar Medical Award

Double reason to celebrate: shortly after receiving the Oskar Medical Award, Christoph Lange has now also been awarded the DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research 2025. The German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) honored him at its annual meeting in Bonn for his outstanding contributions to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis, particularly drug-resistant TB.

The award recognizes the translational impact that has shaped so much of TBnet’s work over the past two decades. From establishing international, collaborative research structures and Europe-wide cohorts to advancing individualized treatment strategies, Christoph’s work has consistently bridged basic science and clinical care. His research on biomarkers, personalized therapy concepts, and modern regimens for drug-resistant TB has directly informed WHO guidelines and improved patient care worldwide.

As clinical lead of the €180 million EU flagship project UNITE4TB, he continues to drive the development of shorter, more effective TB therapies — a mission closely aligned with TBnet’s commitment to innovation and collaboration.

On behalf of the entire TBnet community, we warmly congratulate Christoph on this well-deserved recognition and thank him for his continued leadership, vision, and dedication to improving TB care globally.

Register Now: DZIF Clinical Tuberculosis Course 2026

The DZIF Clinical Tuberculosis Course 2026 invites clinicians, practitioners, scientist, public health workers, and colleagues from allied disciplines to provide latest updates on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis and to provide a discussion forum with world leading experts on TB management, control and elimination.

The 2026 Visiting Professor in Tuberculosis is Professor Tony Hu from the School of Biomedical Engineering Tsinghua University, China, a world-leading expert on innovative diagnosis of tuberculosis. In addition to a keynote lecture Professor Hu will conduct a satellite symposium on “New tools for the diagnosis of tuberculosis” with a limited number of interested fellows.

The DZIF Course on Clinical Tuberculosis 2026 in Borstel is excellently suited for a comprehensive update on the practical management of tuberculosis, for cross-disciplinary exchange and networking.

We are welcoming you to the beautiful Manor House of the Research Center Borstel in the heart of Schleswig-Holstein and are looking forward to spend exciting days together this summer!

More information and registration: https://fzb-veranstaltungen.de/tb2026

The NTMnet Member Survey: Win a ticket to the World Bronchiectasis Conference!

The NTMnet would like to know more about your preferences and wishes for the future direction of the network. Please participate in a short, 5-minute survey before 11^th March 2026 and you could win a free ticket to this year's World Bronchiectasis Conference.

This year's World Bronchiectasis Conference will take place in Hannover, Germany, from June 24th-27th, and is endorsed by NTMnet. The programme has a specific NTM-track.

The survey can be found at: https://www.survey-xact.dk/LinkCollector?key=53UFH4Z3UPCN.

ESGMYC/NTMnet dinner at ESCMID Global

NTMnet is having a mutual dinner with the European Study Group for Mycobacterial Infections at this year's ESCMID Global in Munich, Germany, on Monday April 20th 2026. Please note that the dinner is not sponsored and will cost approximately EUR 60 per person.

Please contact info@ntmnet.org if you wish to attend and did not yet register through ESGMYC.

UNITE4TB Annual Meeting 2026

The UNITE4TB Annual Meeting will be held in Munich between 22APR2026 – 24APR2026.

We would encourage any TBnet members who are interested to register to attend at https://www.unite4tb.org/unite4tb-annual-meeting-2026.

TBnet News

Editor – Conor Tweed

Layout & formatting – Anne Oleischeck

Cover picture – Conor Tweed