PROGRAMME Postgraduate Course
EHMSG Postgraduate Course
“When a Dead Microbe Is a Good Microbe?
Exploring microbes in human health beyond the pathogen paradigm”
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Course Directors: Mirjana Rajilić-Stojanović, Tomica Milosavljević, Miodrag Krstić
09.15 – 09.30 hrs
Welcoming and course overview
09.30 – 10.45 hrs Session 01 - From pathogens to partners – a historical and biological perspective
09.30 – 09.55 hrs
01.01. Microbes in medicine: from enemies to allies – a historical overview
Tomica Milosavljević, Belgrade, Serbia
09.55 – 10.20 hrs
01.02. From associations to mechanisms: Pinpointing when microbes are beneficial or Harmful
Koen Venema, Wageningen, Netherlands
10.20 – 10.45 hrs
01.03. Akkermansia muciniphila: from commensal to therapeutic tool
Muriel Derrien, Leuven, Belgium
10.45 – 11.15 | Coffee break
11.15 – 12.30 hrs Session 02 – Helicobacter pylori eradication in modern gastroenterology
11.15 – 11.40 hrs
02.01. Helicobacter pylori eradication and long-term clinical outcomes
Peter Malfertheiner, Munich, Germany
11.40 – 12.05 hrs
02.02. Eradication therapy in daily practice resistance patterns and treatment strategies
Vladimir Milivojević, Belgrade, Serbia
12.05 – 12.30 hrs
02.03. Population-based Helicobacter pylori eradication benefits risks and open questions
Bojan Tepeš, Ljubljana, Slovenia
12.30 – 13.30 hrs | Lunch break
13.30 – 14.45 hrs Session 03 – Disrupting microbial ecosystems: consequences beyond the target
13.30 – 13.55 hrs
03.01. Mucins, dysbiosis and the path from inflammation to cancer
Annemieke Smet, Antwerp, Belgium
13.55 – 14.20 hrs
03.02. When intervention reshapes ecosystems: long-term consequences of antibiotic therapy
Јоhn Penders, Maastricht, Netherlands
14.20 – 14.45 hrs
03.03. Microbiota dysregulation in immune-mediated diseases
Sergej Tomić, Belgrade, Serbia
14.45 – 15.15 hrs | Coffee break
15.15 – 16.30 hrs Session 04 - Clinical diagnostics – looking beyond the usual suspects
15.15 – 15.40 hrs
04.01. Infectious versus dysbiotic disease: diagnostic dilemmas from a clinical microbiome Perspective
Gianluca Ianiro, Rome, Italy
15.40 – 16.05 hrs
04.02. Diagnostic approaches to treat gastrointestinal infections in real-life clinical practice
Miodrag Krstić, Belgrade, Serbia
16.05 – 16.30 hrs
04.03. Fungal and non-bacterial microorganisms in human disease
Aleksandra Barać, Belgrade, Serbia
16.30 – 17.45 hrs Session 05 - Therapeutic modulation of microbiota from early life to clinical intervention
16.30 – 16.55 hrs
05.01. Probiotics in preterm infants evidence clinical relevance and open questions
Iva Hojsak, Zagreb, Croatia (tbc)
16.55 – 17.20 hrs
05.02. Fecal microbiota transplantation outside clinical trials
Goran Hauser, Rijeka, Croatia
17.20 – 17.45 hrs
05.03. Functional foods and traditional fermented products for sustainable health outcomes
Nataša Golić, Belgrade, Serbia
17.45 – 18.00 hrs
Closing remarks and discussion
18.30 hrs | Welcome Reception