In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, being able to project disease transmission is crucial for informing mitigation strategies, while safe and effective vaccines are key players in protecting against the disease and stopping the transmission. This event brings together a strong combination of expertise on vaccine research and infectious disease modelling, to discuss prospects of the pandemic control with possible vaccine interventions.
Join us for a conversation focused on key questions including:
How much progress have global efforts made on developing SARS-CoV-2 vaccines?
What are the vaccine research and manufacturing challenges?
How do viral, host, and intervention factors act together to determine the transmission dynamics?
How will varying vaccine efficacy and implementation strategies affect predictions on the future course of the disease?
This event is open to all students and early career researchers free of charge. Registration is required to join the live event. This event is open to all students and early career researchers free of charge. Registration is required to join the live event. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/covid-19-envisaging-pandemic-control-with-vaccine-development-tickets-108122443138. A link to the online stream of this event will be sent a few days prior to the event.
Speaker information:
Doctor Mike Whelan is a PhD Immunologist who is currently working as a Project Leader for CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations). His portfolio includes vaccines for MERS, Rift Valley Fever and, more recently, COVID-19. CEPI funds the development of vaccines for neglected pathogens with epidemic potential from preclinical right through to licensure, partnering with both academic and commerical entities. Mike has over 20 years of industrial biotechnology and 8 years of academic experience. He had his own consultancy company and was formerly R&D director at iQur, (working on VLP based universal influenza vaccines) and the Head of Research at Onyvax Ltd (whole cell vaccines for prostate cancer).
Professor Deirdre Hollingsworth is an infectious disease epidemiologist who uses mathematical models and statistical analyses to study the evolution and transmission dynamics of infectious diseases with the aim of informing the design of more effective control interventions. She leads the NTD Modelling Consortium, an international network of neglected tropical disease modellers. She has ongoing interests in the transmission and evolution of HIV in both Africa and European/North American settings as well as malaria and influenza. Deirdre has also been closely following the epidemiology of COVID-19, including publishing a commentary on The Lancet. She is chair of the organising committee for the Isaac Newton Institute’s programme on mathematical modelling of COVID19.
