The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) TB Centre hosted its annual retreat on 19 October 2026, bringing together researchers and doctoral students for a day of discussion, collaboration and networking. 

Held in London, the hybrid event connected colleagues from the MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM and The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU ZIM), providing an opportunity to exchange ideas and strengthen connections across the TB research community. 

The day opened with remarks from TB Centre Co-Directors Professor Toyin Togun and Dr Sedona Sweeney, who introduced the Centre's strategy and outlined its future direction. 

The programme featured interactive sessions exploring the current TB research landscape, opportunities for collaboration and ways to strengthen equitable research partnerships. Discussions also focused on translating research into policy and practice, with contributions from Professor Kara Hanson and Animesh Sinha from Médecins Sans Frontières. 

Participants also took part in group discussions to identify research gaps, explore opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and consider the Centre's research priorities for the next five years. 

Professor Toyin Togun, TB Centre Co-Director said, "Bringing our researchers together is an important opportunity to reflect on where we are, identify gaps and think collectively about where we want to go. Tackling TB requires collaboration across disciplines, institutions and countries, and this retreat has provided a valuable space to strengthen those connections. Our priority is to build on these discussions and ensure our research continues to make a meaningful difference to the lives of people affected by TB." 

Dr Sedona Sweeney, Associate Professor at LSHTM and Co-Director of the TB Centre, said: "A Centre of more than 200 members only works if people feel connected to each other. The retreat was about getting to know one another's work and building community around shared interests. I was delighted by the energy and openness of the discussions on how we, as a Centre, can turn excellent individual research into shared impact through equitable partnerships and closer engagement with policymakers and communities affected by TB." 

Established in 2012, the LSHTM TB Centre brings together more than 200 members working across disciplines to advance TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Through innovative research, equitable global partnerships and engagement with policymakers and communities, the Centre aims to reduce the global burden of TB.  

The retreat provided an opportunity to build on this work by strengthening connections between researchers and identifying shared priorities for the years ahead.