CISTM20 — Call for Session Proposals
Note: The submission deadline has passed
Share Your Expertise in Global Travel Medicine
The International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) invites proposals for scientific sessions, workshops, debates, and panels to be considered for inclusion in the 20th Conference of the International Society of Travel Medicine (CISTM20), to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, 2027.
Each CISTM features a dynamic and diverse scientific program highlighting the latest advances in travel, tropical and migration health. We encourage proposals that reflect innovation, practical application, and global relevance across all aspects of travel medicine.
Important Dates
- Submission Opens: Monday, 24 November, 2025
- Submission Deadline: Tuesday, 26 February, 2026
- Notice of Acceptance or Declination: Friday, 22 May, 2026
Who Should Submit?
We welcome proposals from professionals and researchers representing all disciplines within travel and migration medicine, including:
- Clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals
- Researchers and epidemiologists
- Public health practitioners and policymakers
- Industry, NGO, and global health organization representatives
- Academics, educators, and training program leaders
Session Types
Proposals may be submitted for any of the following formats:
| Session Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Plenary Session | Large-scale session featuring leading experts addressing key global issues in travel and tropical medicine. |
| Symposium | Multi-speaker session exploring a specific topic from multiple perspectives. |
| Workshop | Interactive or case-based session with audience engagement and skill-building components. |
| Debate | Two experts presenting contrasting perspectives on a timely or controversial topic. |
| Panel Discussion | Moderated dialogue among 3–5 experts sharing practical experience and evidence. |
Program Topics
The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) aims to include a balanced selection of topics that reflect the learning needs of travel medicine professionals. Areas of focus may include, but are not limited to:
| Air Travel – jet lag, anxiety, injuries | Arthropod-borne disease – dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, rickettsioses |
| Animal/Arthropod – envenomation, bites, injuries, insect bite avoidance | Destination – Africa, Asia, America, Europe, Oceania |
| Education – advice, counseling, training | Epidemiology – risk estimations, morbidity, mortality |
| Global Health | Malaria – chemoprophylaxis |
| Migrants and Migrations | Military |
| Non-communicable Diseases – pulmonary embolism, injuries, trauma, accidents, security, mental health, disaster, drugs | Other Infectious Diseases |
| Perspectives – environmental changes, impact on host country, climate change, sustainable travel, responsible travel, pollution | Technology – AI, mobile health |
| Travelers’ Diarrhea | Travelers with Special Activities – diving, eco-tourism, cruise ship, mass gatherings, medical tourism, medical relief, humanitarian, occupational, students |
| Travelers with Special Needs – pregnancy, pediatrics, elderly, immunosuppressed, students, business, expatriates, comorbidities, human trafficking | Vaccines & Vaccinations |
| Wilderness and Expedition Medicine – altitude and wilderness topics |
Proposal Guidelines
When submitting a session proposal, you will be asked to provide:
- Session Title (100 character max)
- Session Format (Plenary, Symposium, Workship, etc.)
- Topic Category (link to pre-populated list)
- Session Summary (a brief overview of session, no more than 300 words)
- Learning Objectives (minimum of two)
- Originality and publication history
- Has this topic been presented before? Yes: If yes, please provide details below.
- Where and when was it presented? Please list all prior events, including the name of the event, the date, and the location.
- What has been changed or added? Please explain how this proposed talk differs from the previous version(s) to offer a fresh perspective for our audience.
- Has any of this material been published?
- If yes, where has it been published? Please provide links or publication titles for any articles, blog posts, or other published materials related to this topic.
- Has this topic been presented before? Yes: If yes, please provide details below.
Review Criteria
When reviewing proposals, the SPC Chairs will first conduct a blind review using standardized evaluation criteria focused on relevance, scientific quality, educational value, and speaker expertise.
Proposals are scored on the following domains:
- Relevance to CISTM20 theme and ISTM mission
- Educational value and clarity of learning objectives
- Practical application and engagement potential
- Speaker credibility and expertise
- Innovation and contribution to global travel health
Proposals are then un-blinded and ranked in order according to the sum of their scores. After considering the scores, individual reviewer recommendations, comments from group discussion, and balance of topics presented, final selections will ensure balance across regions, disciplines, and topics.
Please note that it may be necessary to combine similar proposed topics by picking and choosing individual talks from different submissions. The SPC may also identify different speakers for a particular talk as the full scope of submissions is reviewed. This allows more comprehensive coverage of topics, less duplication between sessions, and more balanced demographic representation. There is no need to invite speakers in advance as the final composition of proposed sessions may be substantially different from originally submitted proposals. The Scientific Program Committee will contact invited speakers for a particular topic proposal.
Questions?
For additional questions related to international travel or conference participation, please refer to the FAQs or contact ISTM.