The Odile Bain Memorial Prize

The Odile Bain Memorial Prize (OBMP) is an annual award by Parasites & Vectors in association with Merial to perpetuate the memory of Odile Bain (28/04/1939 – 16/10/2012), Helminthology Department, Natural History Museum of Paris, France.

This award has been established for Odile's outstanding contribution to medical and veterinary parasitology, her actions in encouraging productive collaborations among biologists, veterinarians, physicians, and fundamental and applied parasitologists worldwide and her enthusiasm for parasitology.

The 2014 award had two categories – medical parasitology and veterinary parasitology – but from 2015 onwards there will be two uncategorised prizes.

I am pleased to announce the winners of the 2014 prize are as follows:

Veterinary Parasitology

Dr. Cinzia Cantacessi

The University of Cambridge, UK

Since completing her PhD thesis in 2011, Cinzia has been the first author of 17 papers. Her contributions to the field of veterinary parasitology have included a range of studies exploring the fundamental biology of neglected parasites using cutting-edge next- generation sequencing technologies and bioinformatics. The excellence of her research has been internationally recognized by several prizes and awards.

Medical Parasitology

Dr. Stefanie Knopp

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, Switzerland

Stefanie completed her PhD thesis in 2010 (summa cum laude) and her excellent academic record, in addition to being the first author of 15 papers, has led to her recognition as an excellent early-career scientist predominantly in relation to the significant advances in the field of medical parasitology, epidemiology, diagnosis and integrated control of helminthiases.

Nominations are now open for the 2015 Odile Bain Memorial Prize.

Please visit the Parasites & Vectors website for detailed information on nomination criteria and how to enter. The announcement of the winners for the 2015 Prize will be made at the congress of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology in Liverpool, UK, from 15-20 August, 2015.

We wish all entrants for the 2015 prize the best of luck.

Best wishes,

Chris Arme

Editor-in-Chief, Parasites & Vectors

Fred Beugnet, Merial

Domenico Otranto, Chair of the Selection Committee

News

Bregt Decorte (UGent) was awarded the Huvepharma award for the best oral presentation at the BSPP meeting on 26th of November 2024 in Liège.

Title of the presentation: LONGITUDINAL FOLLOW-UP OF GIARDIA INFECTION IN DOGS SHOWS IMPAIRED IMMUNE DEVELOPMENT

Rebecca Sadler (KULeuven) was awarded the Avia-Gis award for the best poster presentation at the BSPP meeting on 26th of November 2024 in Liège.

Title of the presentation: The role of CD8+ T cells and IFN-γ in Malaria-Associated Acute Kidney Injury (MAKI).

The 2024 Zoetis travel Grant was awarded to Miriam Shigoley (UHasselt) to attend the XI International Symposium on Fish Parasites to be held in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico from January 20th to 24th, 2025.

The 2023 Zoetis travel Grant was awarded to Kayhan Ilbeigi (UA) to attend the Advancements in Structural and Functional Drug Discovery of Vector-borne Diseases conference in Oxford, UK (3-5 July, 2024). Read about his experience here.

Ruben Schols (KULeuven) was awarded the Huvepharma award for the best poster presentation at the BSPP meeting on 30th of November 2023 in Leuven.

Title of the presentation: The snail-trematode-microbiome tripartite interaction: From lab manipulations to the field.

Fran Prenen (KULeuven) was awarded the Avia-Gis award for the best oral presentation at the BSPP meeting on 30th of November 2023 in Leuven.

Title of the presentation: impaired glucocorticoid receptor signaling disrupts glucose immunometabolism in malaria.

Mathieu Claes was awarded the Avia-GIS award for the best oral presentation at the BSPP meeting on 11th November 2022 in Leuven.

Title of the presentation:IL-27 IN AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMES: A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD IN PARASITE CONTROL.

The 2022 Zoetis travel Grant was awarded to Georgios Petrellis (ULiege) to attend the "Parasitic Helminths: New Perspectives in Biology and Infection conference (Hydra, Greece)".

Leen Vandermosten (KUL) won the 2022 art competition.

Two 2021 Zoetis travel Grants were awarded to Laura Dirkx (UA) and Senne Heere (ITM) both to attend the WorldLeish7 conference in Cartagena, Colombia (1-6 August, 2022). Read about Senne's and Laura's experience here.

Ganna Saelens (UGent) was awarded the Avia-GIS award for the best oral presentation at the BSPP meeting on 30th November 2021 in Antwerp.

Title of the presentation:

Transmissibility of anisakidae allergenic peptides from animal feed to chicken meat.

Katlijn De Meulenaere (ITM) was awarded the BSPP award for the best oral presentation at the BSPP meeting on 30th November 2021 in Antwerp.

Title of the presentation:

p. vivax schizont transcriptomes reveal pvtrag variation linked to band 3-mediated invasion in invasion assays.

Emilie Pollenus (KULeuven) was awarded the Huvepharma award for the best poster presentation at the BSPP meeting on 30th November 2021 in Antwerp.

Title of the presentation:

classical nk cells are important in the resolution of experimental malaria-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Dont' forget to register for the BSPP 2021 scientific meeting on

Tuesday 30th November 2021. The meeting venue will be at campus “klooster van de Grauwzusters” (Lange Sint-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerpen), at walking distance from Antwerp Central station. Registration and abstract submission can be done at https://www.bspp.be/bspp-meetings/2021-in-antwerp/

The 2019 BSPP travel Grant was awarded to Dorien Mabille Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH) to attend the BSP/BSPP/NVP Spring Meeting in Manchester, UK, 15-17 April 2019. Read about her experience here.

The 2019 Avia-Gis travel Grant was awarded to Dimitri Bulte Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH) to attend the BSP/BSPP/NVP Spring Meeting in Manchester, UK, 15-17 April 2019. Read about his experience here.

The 2019 Zoetis travel Grant was awarded to Lieselotte Van Bockstal Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH) to attend the BSP/BSPP/NVP Spring Meeting in Manchester, UK, 15-17 April 2019. Read about her experience here.

Internist-infectioloog Meta Roestenberg van het Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC) ontvangt de Boehringer-Ingelheim prijs voor haar onderzoek in de translationele parasitologie. Roestenberg werkt aan experimentele klinische studies die moeten leiden tot een snellere en goedkopere ontwikkeling van nieuwe medicijnen en vaccins. More info.

The 2018 Zoetis travel Grant was awarded to Irina Matetovici (Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp) to attend the The European Congress of Entomology (Naples,Italy), 2-6 July, 2018. Read about her experience here.