Cultivating FHB Research Solutions at the 2026 National FHB Forum

Hyatt Regency Louisville | December 7-9 (Monday-Wednesday), 2026

Navigating local availability and given requests for less weekend travel, we are testing a Monday–Wednesday schedule this year, and are holding the NFHB Forum December 7–9, 2026, in Louisville, KY. Make sure to mark your calendars with a shift forward one day to Monday–Wednesday and make plans to connect with the FHB community to gain insights from scientific presentations and poster sessions on the latest research on Fusarium Head Blight (scab) and deoxynivalenol (DON).

We look forward to seeing how this new Monday start works and will be asking for your feedback following the NFHB Forum to help shape future event patterns.

Highlights of the Forum will include:

• Keynote Addresses: Inspirational talks from academic and stakeholder leaders.
• General Sessions: Thought-provoking presentations on current research efforts.
• Research Focused Breakout Sessions: Roundtable sessions designed to offer practical insights.
• Poster Sessions: Interactive discussions covering a broad representation of FHB research efforts.
• Networking Opportunities: Dedicated time for attendees to connect with peers and experts.
   

The organization of the NFHB Forum is coordinated by the USWBSI with funds provided by
USDA-ARS through the National Facilitation Office.

 

USWBSI 2026 Forum Organizing Committee (FOC)

Co-Chairs

Lisa Vaillancourt, University of Kentucky and Eric Olson, Michigan State University

Members

FHB Management

Alyssa Collins, Penn State University

Kathryn Turner, Land Institute and Christina Cowger, USDA-ARS

Food Safety & Toxicology

Mark Busman, USDA-ARS

Zhao Jin, North Dakota State University

Gene Discovery and Engineering Resistance

Vijay Tiwari, University of Maryland

Rong Di, Rutges University

Pathogen Biology and Genetics

Mickey Drott, USDA-ARS

Nicholas Rhoades, USDA-ARS

Variety Development and Host Resistance

Mike Giroux, Montana State University

Junli Zhang, Texas A&M University

 

We look forward to connecting with everyone at the 2026 NFHB Forum! Stay tuned for additional details...

Follow @USWBSI on Twitter or LinkedIn for quick reminders and updates. For posts about the NFHB Forum use the hashtag #nfhbforum26.

The NFHB Forum is organized and hosted by the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI).

Questions?
Contact the USWBSI NFO at support@scabusa.org or call 517.290.5023

The National FHB Forum is an annual event dedicated to fostering dialogue and advancing scientific knowledge to reduce the impact of FHB (scab) on wheat and barley. It attracts a diverse audience of academic and government scientists, industry leaders and stakeholders, offering a platform for exchanging ideas and exploring innovations.