Celebrating 1,000 VALIDATE Members

The VALIDATE Network is proud to share an important milestone in our community’s growth. In the message below, VALIDATE Co-Director Prof Sam Sampson reflects on the network reaching 1,000 members — a moment that highlights not only our growing global community, but the collaboration, scientific progress, and shared purpose that underpin our work in vaccine research for some of the world’s most neglected diseases.

A Message from Sam Sampson - VALIDATE Network Director

Dear VALIDATE Members,

I’m delighted to share a major milestone for our network: VALIDATE has reached 1,000 members.

This marks an extraordinary journey — from a small, focused initiative of 32 members to a global community of over 1,000 researchers, clinicians, and partners across 80+ countries, united by a shared commitment to vaccine research for Mycobacteria (including tuberculosis, leprosy and buruli), leishmaniasis, and melioidosis.

Celebrating 1,000 members

Reaching this milestone is a testament to the energy, generosity, and scientific excellence of our members — and we’re marking the moment with a series of special features celebrating both our growth and the people at the heart of VALIDATE:

• The Road to 1,000 Members — a timeline charting VALIDATE’s journey, key moments, and milestones
• Infographics highlighting VALIDATE’s achievements, reach, and impact
• A special edition of our VALID8 interview series, featuring behind-the-scenes profiles with Dr Zimvo Obasa, Dr Paula Niewold, Dr Rachel Okojie, Dr Millicent Lamptey, Dr Tuhina Gupta, Dr Cristian Segura-Cerda, Dr Nastassja Kriel, Dr Pia Steigler, and myself
• A special interviews with our 1,000th member - Jéssica Brandão

We’ve also been celebrating this milestone across X/Twitter and LinkedIn, sharing highlights from our community and our journey so far.

All of these features — including the timeline, interviews, infographics, and VALID8 content — can be found on our dedicated 1,000 Members webpage: www.validate-network.org/1000-members

Together, these stories reflect not only scientific progress but the mentorship, collaboration, creativity, and shared purpose that define our community.

Looking ahead

Reaching 1,000 members is not an endpoint — it’s a foundation for the next phase of VALIDATE’s impact. In the months ahead, we will continue to expand and strengthen support for our members through new funding opportunities and enhanced resources to support your research and career development. Next week, we will be launching a new, easier-to-use, Member Directory and will soon have some exciting news about the VALIDATE Hub. On 25 Feb, we are hosting an in-person Public Talk in London – “Chasing Parasites: The Science Behind the Leishmaniasis Scar”, featuring our Co-Director Dr Maria Adelaida Gomez.  I am also very much looking forward to welcoming many of you to VALIDATE’s 8th Annual Meeting in Cartagena, Colombia (22–25 June 2026), including our ECR Workshop on grant writing and an expanded three-day scientific programme spanning Mycobacteria, leishmaniasis, and melioidosis.

Thank you for being part of VALIDATE!

This milestone belongs to every member of our community — past and present. Your research, commitment, and collaboration are what make VALIDATE impactful, credible, and meaningful. Thank you for being part of this journey. I look forward to what we will continue to achieve together.

Published 12 February