Upcoming colloquium: a scientific partnership to enhance mRNA vaccine production
Friday 8 July, 1 pm to 3 pm CET
To mark the formal collaboration of a scientific partnership between scientists at Afrigen and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, partners are hosting the first scientific colloquium on 8 July 2022, 1-3pm CET, that will bring together leading scientists and explore the potential of mRNA technology in addressing much needed vaccines for communicable diseases and beyond. It is envisioned that the NIAID-Afrigen research collaboration agreement will share technical expertise related to the development of next-generation mRNA vaccines and therapeutics. It will help expedite the mRNA technology transfer hub programmeâs goal of mRNA vaccine production while also enabling NIAIDâs Vaccine Research Center as it establishes capacity to make investigational mRNA vaccine products for clinical research at its development and manufacturing facilities.
Keynote Speaker: Dr Barney Graham
Dr Graham is the former Deputy Director of the NIAID Vaccine Research Center and has developed novel vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for coronaviruses and other viral diseases including the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for which he has been widely recognised.
Panellists:
- Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Department of Science and Innovation
- Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization
- Mr Gray Handley, Associate Director for International Research Affairs, NIAID
- Dr Caryn Fenner, Scientific Director, Afrigen
- Dr Karin Bok, Vaccine Research Center
- Prof Patrick Arbuthnot, University of WITS
- Prof Glenda Gray, Executive Director, SAMRC
- Prof Petro Terblanche, CEO, Afrigen
- Consul General Todd Haskell, US Mission, South Africa
The event will be moderated by Mr Charles Gore, Executive Director, Medicines Patent Pool