The COVID-19 pandemic tested the healthcare sector’s preparedness and left it with lingering questions, including: What relevant scientific information did we possess before the pandemic? Which strategies were successful, and which could be improved? What will the next pandemic look like? What research will facilitate identification of the next pandemic? And what must be accomplished to prepare for possible pathogens, including unexpected or re-emerging pathogens? (WHO, 2022) These questions have been among the priorities being addressed in scientific symposia across the globe, as we know it is a matter of when -- not if – another pandemic will strike. The guiding caveat of infectious disease management has been gleaning insights from lessons learned, but it is critical to get out in front of what scientists are calling Pathogen X, which causes Disease X. To access the issue, CLICK HERE.