Emerging Viruses: Disease Models and Strategies for Vaccine Development

描述(由申请人提供)：“新出现的病毒：疫苗开发的疾病模型和战略”研讨会将汇集在新出现和重新出现的人畜共患病的各个方面具有不同专业知识的研究人员，以解决与合理的疫苗开发有关的重要但尚未探索的问题。UTMB的生物防御和新发传染病中心最近获得了UTMB麦克劳克林基金会的赠款，以部分支持这次会议。我们通过这项拨款申请从NIH寻求的额外资金将用于支付所有会议费用，这最终将通过鼓励从事人畜共患病毒引起的疾病(包括许多具有生物防御重要性的疾病)疫苗开发研究的科学家之间进行富有成效的科学交流，来支持NIAID的生物防御研究战略计划。会议的具体目标是：目标1.为来自美国学术、政府和工业实验室的约150名与会者提供一个论坛，促进科学交流，分享病毒性人畜共患病疫苗的最新进展。该节目将有六位主旨演讲者以及该领域领导人的特邀演讲。此外，初级调查人员和受训人员的简短演讲将从提交的摘要中挑选出来。目的2.提出一个项目，包括新的平台技术，佐剂的使用，预防和治疗的疫苗，以及对疫苗的反应评估，包括阐明保护性免疫机制，捕捉新出现和再次出现的病毒疾病疫苗开发领域的最重大进展。推进疫苗研究的战略讨论的中心将是深入讨论人类病毒性疾病的病理，以及目前可用的动物模型是否足以模拟人类疾病。目标3.促进初级科学家和知名研究人员之间的互动，主要通过海报演示来实现。选定的初级调查人员也将被选为在讲台上介绍他们的研究。目标4.为从事新出现和再次出现的人兽共患病研究的初级科学家，包括研究生、博士后助理和早期教职员工提供旅费补助。一半的奖项将被指定给少数族裔、妇女或残疾人。旅行补助委员会将审查所有申请，并决定如何评选奖项。将提供资金作为按经济舱、酒店、地面交通和会议登记的航空旅费的报销。目标5.为妇女、代表性不足的少数群体成员和残疾人提供机会，让他们参与和积极参加一次会议，展示他们的工作并促进与各自领域其他科学家的互动。会议将于2012年10月23日和24日在德克萨斯州加尔维斯顿的穆迪花园酒店和会议中心举行。会后将安排参观加尔维斯顿国家实验室。 公共卫生相关性：来自自然的病毒对人类和动物健康的威胁日益增加，它们有效地绕过了政治边界和定义我们全球社会的其他边界。“新出现的病毒：疾病模型和疫苗发展战略”研讨会将为疫苗研究人员和病毒学家提供机会，讨论他们的最新研究，包括使用动物作为疾病模型的最新发展。在为期两天的会议上，将强调最新的进展，网络机会将允许知名科学家和年轻科学家之间进行富有成效的交流，这将有助于改善生物防御和公共卫生。

Description (as provided by the applicant): The symposium, "Emerging Viruses: Disease Models and Strategies for Vaccine Development" will bring together researchers with diverse expertise in various aspects of emerging and re-emerging viral zoonoses to address important but unexplored issues pertaining to rational vaccine development. UTMB's Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases was recently awarded a grant from the McLaughlin Endowment at UTMB to partially support this conference. The additional funding we seek from the NIH with this grant application will contribute to all the meeting costs, which will ultimately support NIAID's Strategic Plan for Biodefense Research by encouraging productive scientific exchanges among scientists engaged in vaccine development research for diseases caused by zoonotic viruses, including many of biodefense importance. The specific objectives of the conference are: Objective 1. To provide a forum for approximately 150 participants from academic, governmental, and industrial laboratories in the US to foster scientific exchange and share the latest advances on vaccines for viral zoonoses. The program will feature six keynote speakers as well as invited talks by leaders in the field. In addition, short talks by junior investigators and trainees will be chosen from among the submitted abstracts. Objective 2. To present a program that captures the most significant advances in the field of vaccine development for emerging and re-emerging viral diseases, including new platform technologies, the use of adjuvants, vaccines for both prophylaxis and as therapy, and the evaluation of responses to vaccines, including the elucidation of protective immune mechanisms. Central to discussions of strategies for advancing vaccine research will be in-depth sessions on the human pathology of viral diseases and whether currently available animal models are adequate for simulating human disease. Objective 3. To promote interactions among junior-level scientists and well-established researchers, accomplished primarily through poster presentations. Selected junior investigators will also be chosen to present their research in podium sessions. Objective 4. To provide travel grants for junior-level scientists, including graduate students, postdoctoral associates, and early-stage faculty members, who are engaged in research on emerging and re-emerging viral zoonoses. Half of the awards will be designated for minorities, women, or persons with disabilities. A travel grant committee will review all applications and make the determination as to how the awards are selected. Funds will be provided as reimbursements for air travel by coach class, hotel, ground transportation, and meeting registration. Objective 5. To provide an opportunity for women, members of under-represented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to engage and actively participate in a meeting that showcases their work and facilitates interactions with other scientists in their fields. The conference will be held on October 23 and 24, 2012 at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Conference Center in Galveston, Texas. Tours of the Galveston National Laboratory will be offered following the meeting. Public Health Relevance: Viruses from nature are an ever-increasing threat to human and animal health, and they effectively circumvent political boundaries and other borders that define our global societies. The "Emerging Viruses: Disease Models and Strategies for Vaccine Development" symposium will offer an opportunity for vaccine researchers and virologists to gather to discuss their latest research, including the latest developments in the use of animals as disease models. Over the two-day meeting, the most recent advances will be emphasized, and networking opportunities will allow for a productive interchange among well established and younger scientists that will contribute to the improvement of biodefense and public health.