Since 1997, Staphylococcus Great Britain and Ireland (StaphGBI) conferences have brought together the Staphylococcus research community in the UK and Ireland. The 12th StaphGBI conference, hosted by University of Galway 22–23 June 2023, was co-chaired by Dr Merve S. Zeden and Professor James P. O’Gara, supported by a local organizing committee of Chloe Hobbs-Tobin, Dr Rakesh Roy, Órla Burke and Aaron Nolan. Anchored by keynote speaker Professor Vinai Thomas, all other StaphGBI 2023 oral and post presentations were delivered by early career researchers. The conference attracted approximately 100 delegates, including 72 MRes/PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, 22 principal investigators and 4 exhibitors. The mix of scientists, clinicians and early career researchers stimulated excellent discussions on key issues and challenges in the Staphylococcus field. Staphylococcus aureus interactions with the host immune system, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and new therapeutic approaches using antimicrobial peptides or metabolites, chronic wound and device-associated infections, and improving our understanding of staphylococcal genomics were common themes at StaphGBI 2023.