The MSF Scientific Days bring together researchers, innovators, and advocates in humanitarian global health to discuss and challenge research from within the sector.
MSF Scientific Day 2026 is a free, annual global health and humanitarian research conference in London, bringing together researchers, clinicians, innovators, and advocates from around the world.
Focused on medical research in fragile, conflict-affected, and crisis settings, the conference highlights how high-quality research can improve care, inform policy, and strengthen humanitarian response. This all-day conference is a free hybrid event, open to everyone.
Date: 20 May 2026
Location: Central London + online
Format: Hybrid (in-person and virtual)
2026 Programme Highlights
Keynote: Research under fire – lessons from Gaza
Dr Akihiro Seita and Dr Masako Hoshino (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)) will discuss conducting research under fire, focusing on their month-by-month analysis of acute malnutrition during the war in Gaza. Their work contributed to the IPC famine confirmation in Gaza City and highlighted the impact of restricted humanitarian aid on child malnutrition.
Keynote Panel: Beyond health – can MSF research serve as testimony?
The panel will explore whether MSF’s research can support justice efforts, including use in inquiries or courts, and the operational implications.
Speakers will also discuss the ethical and operational implications of using research as testimony in humanitarian contexts.
Who should attend?
MSF Scientific Days is open to anyone interested in global and humanitarian health, including:
- Researchers and academics
- Healthcare professionals
- Humanitarian workers
- Policy-makers
Other MSF Scientific Days
Scientific Days Asia 2025 will take place on 19 September in Colombo, Sri Lanka, showcasing research and innovation from across the region.
Watch recordings from the 2025 conference
If you missed a session or would like to revisit the discussions, all content is now available to watch on demand via the online platform. You will be able to use the same login details that you used for the live event. Explore insights from the field, innovative research and thought-provoking discussions at your own pace.
Recordings will be available for six months after the event.
Recordings of all presentations are available on the MSF Science Portal >
Highlights from our 2023 event
Missed our event on 7 June 2023? You can find all of our content on the MSF Science Portal
Our 2023 event showcased research conducted by MSF, its partners and beyond, and featured four sessions on topics ranging from tuberculosis and operational strategies to reproductive health and outbreaks. Some of the emerging themes were:
- The importance of meaningful patient engagement to achieve more appropriate research and interventions. Sohana Saddique presented on a successful collaboration between MSF and two factories in Bangladesh to improve workplace safety. Here, active participation from the factory owners and workers helped in co-creating effective interventions and infrastructure changes that could be sustained in the absence of MSF.
- The scope of humanitarian health action was questioned, particularly the extent of MSF’s responsibilities in situations that require longer term presence. In addition to this, Sakib Burza urged us to look beyond the immediate impacts of humanitarian health action, presenting an example of the environmental benefits that can be achieved by providing support to communities in ecologically critical areas in Borneo. Average deforestation rates were significantly lower in villages provided with healthcare and livelihoods support, illustrating that the resilience of these communities is tied to the environment.
- The urgency to move beyond solely lifesaving activities was highlighted as our focus begins to expand to include measures of quality of life and patient-reported outcomes. This attitude shift was discussed during Beverley Stringer’s presentation on patient experiences from the TB-PRACTECAL clinical trial and emphasised in Matthew Coldiron’s presentation on the need for aftercare in light of the long-term effects of a meningitis epidemic that occurred in Niger in 2022.
Finally, two noteworthy studies from our partners were presented which we want to highlight:
Epicentre’s Estelle Pasquier on the high severity of abortion complications in fragile and conflict-affected settings, and DNDi’s Alexandra Solomos on a shorter, safer treatment for visceral leishmaniasis.
If you missed previous events you can catch up here:
MSF Asia Scientific Day 2022
MSF Scientific Day International 2022
MSF Scientific Day Southern Africa – Zimbabwe
Visit the MSF Science Portal to watch all content from previous years
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