Postgenomic research on leishmaniasis: a critical self-appraisal

Abstract

Scientific conferences, a major feature of academic life, rarely provide the opportunity for self appraisal of a research field. During a recent meeting on leishmaniasis research in the post-genomic era, ~60 researchers participated in group discussions that aimed to provide a critical self-appraisal of the state of the field and to highlight major roadblocks likely to prevent translation of new research into tools for leishmaniasis control. These discussions demonstrated a surprising concordance of views and highlighted a number of critical areas for future development.