Program at a Glance

We are excited to share the following ICDS 2026 program snapshot, giving you a clear overview of the themes, sessions, invited speakers and social functions you can look forward to in Melbourne.

While more details and updates will be added as we move closer to the event, this at-a-glance guide is the perfect way to start planning your experience and see the breadth of opportunities on offer.

Stay tuned for updates as we build towards an inspiring and impactful ICDS 2026!

Program Highlight

The Inaugural Great Debate

For the first time at ICDS, we are delighted to host the inaugural Great Debate — a lively, collegial and evidence-based session tackling one of the most contentious questions in celiac disease care:

"Is it time to ditch the small bowel biopsy?"

The negative team will argue that current evidence and clinical practice still support small bowel biopsy as an essential component of accurate diagnosis and safe patient management, while the affirmative team will make the case that current evidence and evolving diagnostic pathways support moving beyond routine biopsy.

With expert panellists deliberately assigned to argue both sides — and against their usual viewpoints — this novel format promises interesting insights, practical take-home messages, and a healthy dose of humour.

ICDS 2026 — Melbourne, Australia

International Celiac Disease Symposium

17 – 20 November 2026  ·  Program at a Glance

The Gluten-Free Diet and Beyond → Towards New Treatments
1:00pm – 2:30pm

ISSCD Satellite

2:30pm – 3:00pm

Afternoon Tea

3:00pm – 5:00pm

ISSCD Satellite

6:00pm – 9:00pm

Welcome Drinks

Included for all

8:30am – 9:00am

Opening Ceremony

9:00am – 10:30am

Plenary 1: Triggers and Drivers

Speakers: Daniel Agardh and Marisa Stahl

10:30am – 11:00am

Morning Tea

11:00am – 12:00pm

Keynote Speech

Speakers: Chris Goodnow and Ranjeny Thomas

12:00pm – 12:30pm

3 Minute Thesis

12:30pm – 1:30pm

Lunch + Poster Session

1:30pm – 3:00pm

Science 1: Pathogenesis

Speakers: Ludvig Sollid, Bana Jabri, Nicole La Gruta

Clinical 1: Non-responsive & refractory celiac disease

Speakers: Joe Murray, Fabiana Zingone, Gerd Bouma

Patient empowerment: driving change in celiac disease

Speakers: Marilyn Geller, Deb Silberg, Heidi Urwin

The global face of celiac disease: challenges and opportunities

Speakers: Fernando Chirdo, Govind Makharia, Adugne Negussie, Mohamed Shiha

3:00pm – 4:00pm

Afternoon Tea + Poster Session

4:00pm – 5:30pm

Plenary 2: Diagnosis & Diagnostic Tools

Speakers: Jernej Dolinsek, Luca Elli, Robert Anderson

6:00pm – 7:00pm

Satellite Symposium

9:00am – 10:30am

Plenary 3: Pathogenesis

Speakers: Heather Galipeau, Renata Auricchio

10:30am – 11:00am

Morning Tea

11:00am – 12:15pm

The Inaugural ICDS 2026 Great Debate: Is it time to ditch the small bowel biopsy in celiac disease?

Affirmative: Joe Murray, Carolina Ciacci  ·  Negative: Peter Gibson, Jocelyn Silvester

12:30pm – 1:30pm

Lunch + Poster Session

12:45pm – 1:15pm

Breakout 1: How to publish your celiac manuscript

Speaker: Elena Verdu

Breakout 2: Running a celiac disease centre: challenges & opportunities

Speakers: David Sanders, Govind Makharia

Breakout 3: Technologies advancing celiac disease research

Speakers: Iris Jonkers, Fabio Luciani

1:30pm – 3:00pm

Science 2: Mucosal immunology & the microbiome

Speakers: Elena Verdu, Melinda Hardy, Calvin Kuo

Clinical 2: Challenges & advances in histology

Speakers: Marie Robert, Keijo Viiri, Wendy Teft

3:00pm – 4:30pm

Afternoon Tea + Poster Viewing + Networking

3:00pm – 4:00pm

Satellite Symposium – Dr Schar

4:30pm – 5:30pm

Plenary 4: Top Student Abstracts

5:45pm – 7:00pm

ISSCD General Update

7:30pm – 10:00pm

Conference Dinner – NGV

Includes CDF Award Presentation

9:00am – 10:30am

Science 3: Omics in celiac disease

Speakers: Jorunn Stamnaes, Michael FitzPatrick, Tony Purcell

Clinical 3: Beyond conventional celiac disease

Speakers: Peter Gibson, Simon Knowles, Rose-Marie Satherley

Clinical & Dietitian Education

Speakers: Ritu Verma, Cristian Costas, Andrew Day, Sadie Nagle

10:30am – 11:00am

Morning Tea

11:00am – 12:30pm

Plenary 5: Innovations in the gluten-free diet

Speakers: Paul Turner, Jasmine Lacis-Lee

12:00pm – 1:30pm

Patient & Family Education Session

Speakers: David Sanders, Amelie Therrien, Maureen Leonard, Cristian Costas, Vanessa Weisbrod

12:30pm – 1:30pm

Lunch + Poster Session

1:30pm – 3:30pm

Plenary 6: Clinical trial readouts & immune therapies

Speakers: Matthew Kowalik, Dan Leffler and Knut Lundin

2:00pm – 3:30pm

Nutrition and Dietetic Updates Session

Speakers: Anne Lee, Nick Trott and Penny Dellsperger

3:45pm – 4:15pm

Scientific + Clinical Summary

4:15pm – 4:30pm

Awards + Closing Remarks

★ The patient session on Friday is open to the public — a separate free registration link is available.
Session / Plenary
Break / Lunch / Poster
Social / Satellite / Special
* Program is subject to change

Patient Session

Open to the Public · Free
  • Date: Friday, 20 November 2026
  • Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm
  • Location: Eureka Rooms 1–3, MCEC
  • Cost: $0 AUD — pre-registration required

Please note that spaces are limited. For more information, see the Patient Session page.

Patient Session Information

Screening Symposium

Satellite · Limited Spaces
  • Date: Tuesday, 17 November 2026
  • Time: 9:00am – 3:30pm
  • Location: Eureka Rooms 2&3, MCEC
  • Cost: $100 AUD (ICDS registrants) $150 AUD for those attending the Screening Symposium only (not registered for ICDS 2026).

Please note spaces are limited. For more information, see the Screening Symposium page.

Screening Symposium Information