From Microscopy to Targeted Therapy: Federico Villa’s Experience at ESCMID Global 2026

I participated in ESCMID Global 2026 in Münich with colleagues from the Infectious Diseases Department of Ospedale San Gerardo, with whom I worked on a poster titled “Three hours from microscopic examination to targeted therapy: the impact of fast microbiology on antimicrobial therapy in critically ill patients”.

Dr. Francesca Iannuzzi, my thesis relator, and I participated in the April 19^th poster session, during which we presented our results. Our poster showed how impactful fast microbiology can be in a high antimicrobial resistance setting like our hospital – and our country in general.

In our study, fast microbiology allowed us to modify an empiric antibiotic treatment in over half of the cases and to discontinue empiric carbapenem treatment in more than a third of cases.

This is particularly relevant since carbapenems are generally considered “last resort” therapy due to their effectiveness and broad spectrum, but resistance to them is increasingly widespread.

What makes me particularly proud of this result is that the data we used for this analysis came from the database I’m building for my thesis, which will focus exactly on antimicrobial stewardship.

Aside from my poster presentation, ESCMID Global 2026 was an invaluable opportunity to attend presentations on a wide range of topics, from antimicrobial resistance to parasitology, from to public health to infections in immunocompromised patients.

Finally, thanks to ESCMID Global 2026 I was able to connect with fellow young scientists, learning more about their career paths and research interests, as well as with renowned researchers from Italy and abroad.

I think that congresses like ESCMID Global 2026 are a cradle where new ideas are born and meaningful connection are built, things that are fundamental for high-quality scientific research.

I just returned from Münich, but I’m already looking forward to participating in ESCMID Global 2027, which will be held in Stockholm – an excellent opportunity not only to keep learning and networking, but also to reconnect with the Global Infections research group at Karolinska Institutet, where I carried out this years’ lab rotation.