Transforming Infectious Diseases: Dr Emma Stanton’s call to action at ESCMID Global

At this year’s ESCMID Global, Dr Emma Stanton, CEO of EIT Pathogena at the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT Oxford), delivered a call for collaboration, innovation, and urgent action in the fight against infectious diseases.

Dr Stanton opened by acknowledging what everyone in the room knows all too well: science does not thrive in isolation. “The greatest breakthroughs,” she said, “happen when brilliant minds come together.” Surrounded by leading experts in infectious disease, she painted a picture of a future shaped not just by knowledge, but by shared purpose and collective action.

She spoke about the seismic shifts in global health funding, describing a landscape where traditional sources are diminishing, putting vital research at risk. But amidst this uncertainty, she offered a vision—a reimagining of how public and private sectors can work together to build new systems, fast.

At the heart of her message is the Pathogen Programme at EIT Oxford, an ambitious vision built to transform how the world detects, diagnoses, and responds to infectious disease threats. From AI-driven diagnostics to cloud-powered infrastructure, Dr Stanton outlined how EIT is building an end-to-end technology stack that goes far beyond genomic sequencing. “We’re enabling real-time learning from real-world cases,” she said. “This isn’t just innovation. It’s impact at scale.”

She invited the global community to be part of a growing ecosystem of collaborators—scientists, engineers, diagnostics providers, and public health leaders—who together are shaping a new model of global health response. With partnerships already in place, and a global pathogen database underway, EIT is already moving fast.

But Dr Stanton’s presence at ESCMID wasn’t just about showcasing innovation. It was personal. Recalling a young patient lost to sepsis early in her clinical career, she reminded us all why this work matters. “Better, faster diagnosis could have saved him,” she said. “Now, we have the opportunity to make that difference.”

Her message was clear: the time to act is now. And the door is open.