image: The International Society of Microbiota (ISM) has appointed Professor Alain Stintzi as its new President, signaling a clear intention to reinforce scientific rigor and accelerate the transition of microbiota research toward mechanism-driven, clinically actionable, and industrially relevant applications.
Credit: @ISM
The International Society of Microbiota (ISM) has appointed Professor Alain Stintzi, University of Ottawa, Canada, as President of ISM, signaling a clear intention to reinforce scientific rigor and accelerate the transition of microbiota research toward mechanism-driven, clinically actionable, and industrially relevant applications.
ISM also announced the appointment of Dr. Soheil Saeedi, University of Zurich, Switzerland, as Vice-President of the society.
Professor Alain Stintzi is internationally recognized for his work on host–microbiota interactions and microbial physiology. His research focuses on how microbial ecosystems adapt, interact with the host, and influence health and disease. His approach combines genomics, functional microbiology, and multi-omics integration with translational perspectives, positioning him among researchers shaping the next phase of microbiome science.
His appointment follows his recognition at Tokyo Microbiota 2025, where he received a Scientific Award for his contributions to translational and comparative microbiota research.
“Alain Stintzi brings a clear scientific vision and the ability to structure the field around mechanistic and translational questions,” said Dr. Marvin Edeas, Chairman of ISM. “This is exactly what the microbiota field needs as it moves beyond descriptive studies toward applications in medicine.”
At a time when microbiota research is evolving rapidly, ISM is positioning itself at the intersection of academia, clinical research, and industry. The objective is to move from correlation to causality, and from discovery to implementation.
Stintzi’s role will be primarily strategic. He is expected to help define scientific priorities, identify emerging research directions, and strengthen coherence across ISM’s international meetings.
Together with Vice-President Soheil Saeedi, this new leadership aims to strengthen the scientific visibility and international positioning of ISM at the intersection of microbiota science, metabolism, aging, and translational medicine.
“It is my vision that the microbiome should become a real target to not only treat disease but, maybe even more importantly, prevent disease,” said Alain Stintzi. “The microbiome should be viewed as a mediator between our environment and exposome and the host. This also means moving beyond associative studies to uncover the underlying mechanisms that can support the development of novel interventions. It requires interdisciplinary collaboration together with a focus on pre-disease stages and prevention to understand how to maintain and restore microbiome functions that support health.”
This new strategic direction will shape the upcoming ISM 2026 meetings, including:
- RIKEN–ISM Tokyo 2026 (September 24–25, Tokyo, Japan)
- The 13th World Congress on Targeting Microbiota (November 4–5, Málaga, Spain)
The Málaga meeting will be organized under the theme:
“The Strategic Questions Shaping the Future of Microbiota Medicine”
The congress will focus on:
- Moving from correlation to causality
- Microbiota as a therapeutic platform
- Biomarkers and predictive medicine
- AI, devices, and microbiome monitoring
- Phage therapy and ecosystem modulation
- Gut–brain and gut–cardiovascular axes
- Longevity and healthy aging
- Industrial innovation and translational medicine
Through this new scientific leadership, ISM aims to strengthen its position as an international platform connecting frontier microbiota science with clinical translation, biotechnology, and future medicine.
About Alain Stintzi
Professor Alain Stintzi is a Full Professor at the University of Ottawa and Director of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. His work focuses on microbial adaptation, host–pathogen interactions, and gut microbiota dynamics. He is known for integrating molecular microbiology with systems approaches to better understand how microbial ecosystems influence host physiology.
His research bridges fundamental science and translational applications, contributing to the growing effort to position microbiota as a key component of biomedical innovation.
About ISM
The International Society of Microbiota brings together researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders to advance microbiota science and its applications in health and disease. Through its international meetings and initiatives, ISM promotes scientific excellence, translational medicine, and microbiota-driven innovation.