Vaccine Renaissance Conference at the Institute for Immunology and Informatics

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, first, middle): De Groot, Anne, S. Abstract Vaccines have had an enormous positive impact on global health saving literally millions of lives and preventing pandemics. Diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, tetanus and smallpox have nearly been eradicated by the use of vaccines. Now with the threat of global pandemics and bioterrorism there is an increased awareness of the value of vaccines. Given the global spread of infectious disease, the emergence of virulent new pathogens and the escalating threat of bio-terrorism, we propose to initiate a Vaccine Renaissance Conference. The Institute of Immunology and Informatics (I'Cubed) at the University of Rhode Island will host and organize a three-day conference for leading vaccine researchers and developers. This event will take place in October 2011, 2012, and 2013 in Providence, RI. The mission of the I'Cubed is to improve human and animal health by applying the power of immunomics --informatics, genomics and immunology -- to the design of better vaccines and therapeutics. The I'Cubed was founded by Annie De Groot, M.D. with a 13M dollar NIH U-19 grant to accelerate vaccine discovery in the areas of infectious diseases and bio-defense using state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools. The Institute is led by Dr. De Groot and Dr. Denice Spero, both highly experienced researchers and leaders in the field of drug discovery and both highly skilled at organizing scientific events. The primary objective of the 2011-2013 Vaccine Renaissance Conference is to provide a forum for the review of current progress in the research and development of vaccines, including new tools and techniques for accelerating vaccine discovery. The second objective of the meeting is to provide a networking opportunity for the vaccine R & D community nationwide, therefore creating important opportunities for collaborations between academic researchers and vaccine industry leaders. National and regional vaccine industry and academic leaders will be invited to speak about recent vaccine developments in their area of expertise. This Vaccine Renaissance Conference at the I'Cubed will follow three highly successful Vaccine Renaissance conferences which took place in 2004, 2006 and 2009 in Providence, Rhode Island. A fourth Conference is planned for October 2010. The global appeal of the Conference attracted more than 100 participants each year not only from the United States, but also from around the world. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, first, middle): De Groot, Anne, S. Narrative Vaccines are the single most important public health tool in saving lives. Vaccines improve the duration and quality of life and have the advantage of preventing diseases before they occur. Many diseases have been eradicated or nearly eradicated by the introduction and use of vaccines. However, there are diseases that have yet to be conquered and remain ripe for vaccine design- HIV, HCV, TB and Malaria to name a few. Given the global spread of infectious disease, the re-emergence of infectious diseases, the persistence of neglected tropical diseases, and the escalating threat of bio-terrorism, it is important for vaccine researchers to gather to discuss their latest research. To that end, the Institute for Immunology and Informatics at the University of Rhode Island proposes a three-day conference for leading vaccine researchers and producers. The conference will emphasize networking between academic researchers and representatives from vaccine-oriented biotechnology companies across the US and worldwide. This conference, "Vaccine Renaissance Conference at the Institute for Immunology and Informatics" will take place October 2011-2013 in Providence, Rhode Island.