February 2-4, 2026

TickNet Canada 2026 Scientific Symposium

Welcome to the TickNet Canada 2026 Scientific Symposium

TickNet Canada is an interdisciplinary national research network of scientists, policymakers, healthcare and public health professionals, and citizens established to produce scientific and living evidence to guide policies and programs to mitigate the emerging threat of tick-borne disease driven by climate change, affecting the health of all Canadians.

Our third scientific symposium will be held February 2-4, 2026 in Gatineau, Quebec at the Canadian Museum of History (100 Rue Laurier, Gatineau, QC, Canada). There will be an evening plenary talk and meet-and-greet social the evening of February 2, 2026. The symposium runs February 3-4, 2026.

The event will bring together scientists, healthcare and public health professionals, research staff, students, trainees and patient, family and community partners from all over North America to address current issues surrounding tick-borne diseases.

Requests for a certificate of attendance at the TickNet Canada 2026 Scientific Symposium for documentation of event hours for credits can be sent to clydrn@gmail.com. Certificate of attendance letters will be issued following the event.

Interested in becoming a Symposium Sponsor? We have lots of opportunities available. Inquiries can be sent to clydrn@gmail.com to receive our sponsorship package for review.

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Meet Our Plenary Speakers

  • Dr. Nick Ogden

    Dr. Nick Ogden

    Public Health Agency of Canada

    Plenary talk title: To be determined.

    Bio:

    Dr. Nick Ogden is a UK-trained veterinarian with a doctorate in vector-borne disease ecology and post-doctoral training in disease modelling. He is a senior research scientist and Director of Modelling Hub division within the Science-Policy Integration Branch of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), focusing on assessing disease risk by study of the ecology, epidemiology and genetic diversity of vectors and zoonotic and vector-borne micro-organisms. A key component of his work is assessing impacts of climate change on zoonoses and vector-borne diseases, and developing tools for public health adaptation. His team conducts PHAC’s infectious disease modelling encompassing COVID-19, MPOX, vector-borne diseases, and measles in recent years.

  • Dr. Brian Fallon

    Dr. Brian Fallon

    Columbia University

    Plenary talk title: To be determined.

    Bio:
    To be determined.

  • Dr. Manisha Kulkarni

    Dr. Manisha Kulkarni

    University of Ottawa

    Plenary talk title: To be determined.

    Bio:
    Manisha Kulkarni is a Professor at the School of Epidemiology and Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa with expertise in medical entomology, disease ecology and spatial epidemiology. She is the Scientific Director of the Canadian Lyme Disease Research Network (CLyDRN) / TickNet Canada and holds a University Research Chair in Climate Change and Emerging Diseases.

    Dr. Kulkarni leads the Interdisciplinary Spatial Informatics for Global Health (INSIGHT) research lab at uOttawa, which uses field, laboratory and geospatial approaches to assess the impacts of climate and environmental changes on vector-borne disease transmission and risk in global settings. Her research on tick-borne diseases in Canada is supported by grants from CIHR, PHAC, NSERC and others, and aims to investigate the socio-ecological determinants of tick-borne disease risk in peri-urban settings, and the evaluation of interventions to improve tick-borne disease prevention and climate change adaptation strategies.

Symposium Details

Registration: Mon., Feb. 2, 2026 (4-5 pm)

Evening Plenary Talk: Mon., Feb. 2, 2026 (5-6 pm)

Social: Mon., Feb. 2, 2026 (6-8 pm)

Scientific Symposium (Day 1): Tue., Feb. 3, 2026 (7 am- 6 pm)

Scientific Symposium (Day 2): Wed., Feb. 4, 2026 (7 am- 5 pm)

Venue Location: Canadian Museum of History, 100 Rue Laurier, Gatineau, QC, Canada

Symposium Details

Accommodations

Symposium attendees are to arrange their own accommodations. There are a few hotels located within walking distance from the Canadian Museum of History:

- Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Conference Centre Gatineau-Ottawa: 35 Rue Laurier, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada J8X 4E9 (2 min walk).

- Best Western Plus Gatineau-Ottawa Downtown: 131 Rue Laurier, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada J8X 3W3 (6 min walk).

- Duvernay Studios and Suites: 92 Rue de L'Hotel de Ville, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada J8X 2E6 (8 min walk).

- Les Suites Victoria, Ascend Hotel: 1 Rue Victoria, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada J8X 1Z6 (7 min walk).

Accommodations

Getting to Gatineau-Ottawa

There are several ways to make your way to Gatineau-Ottawa.

Flying:

Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air Transit, and Westjet offer flights to the Ottawa airport (closest airport). From the Ottawa airport to the hotel/venue located in Gatineau (across the river from Ottawa), you can take a 25 min taxi ride (~$25-$30) or you can take the OC Transpo (local transit using O-Train and bus; see the schedule HERE). NOTE: The O-Train is located in the airport. You will need to take Line 4 Airport to the South Keys Station, get off Line 4 train and take Line 2 Bayview to the Bayview Station (last stop on O-Train). Get off Line 2 train and take Line 1 Blair East to the Lyon Station (Downtown Ottawa). Walk 5 minutes to the corner of Wellington Street/Lyon Street (bus stop) and take Bus 67 (Station de la Cite via Gerber) to the Canadian Museum of History (8 minute bus ride). Please allow sufficient time to arrive if using the local transit.

VIA Train:

VIA Rail Canada has daily trains arriving to Ottawa from the west (Toronto) and east (Montreal). See VIA Rail schedule HERE. From the Ottawa train station to the hotel/venue located in Gatineau (across the river from Ottawa), you can take a 25 min taxi ride (~$25-$30) or you can take the OC Transpo (local transit using O-Train and bus; see the schedule HERE). NOTE: The O-Train is located in the train station. You will need to take Line 1 Tremblay West to the Parliament Station (Downtown Ottawa). Walk 4 minutes to the corner of Albert Street/Bank Street (bus stop) and take Bus 31 (CEGEP G-Roy via Riel) to the Maisonneuve/Papineau stop (9 minute bus ride) and walk 5 minutes to the Canadian Museum of History. Please allow sufficient time to arrive if using the local transit.

Driving:

Driving from the West: Take Hwy 401 EAST to Hwy 416 NORTH (Exit 721A) to Ottawa. Take Exit 75B and merge onto Hwy 417 East towards Ottawa. Take Exit 122 (Parkdale Avenue) and turn left onto Parkdale Avenue. Take a right onto Kichi Zībī Mīkan. The road's name will change to Wellington Street. Take a left onto the Portage Brg. The road's name changes to Portage Bridge. Take a right onto Rue Laurier and head to destination.

Driving from the East: Take Hwy 40 WEST (Quebec) to Gatineau-Ottawa. Hwy 40 WEST changes its name into Hwy 417 WEST once you enter Ontario. Take Exit 118 and turn right onto Mann Avenue/Gatineau/ Nicholas Street. Keep left and head towards Hull. Take a left onto Laurier Avenue East. Turn right onto Elgin Street. Turn right onto Rideau Street. Turn left onto Sussex Drive. Turn left onto St. Patrick Street. The road's name will change to Alexandra Bridge. Turn left onto Rue Laurier and head to destination.

Getting to Gatineau-Ottawa

Car Rentals

There are several car rental agencies located within the Ottawa Airport. For more information about available car rentals, click on the links below:

- Alamo

- Avis

- Budget

- Enterprise

- Hertz

- National

- Routes Car Rental

- Thrifty

Car Rentals

Location

Canadian Museum of History

100 Rue Laurier Gatineau, QC Canada, K1A 0M8

Registration period

May 1, 2025 - 12:00 AM until January 31, 2026 - 11:59 PM

Submission period

May 1, 2025 - 12:00 AM until September 30, 2025 - 11:59 PM

Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact clydrn@gmail.com .

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