Two Vaccine Development Seminars

Feb 5, 2005, Sat, 2:30 - 6:00 PM at Mountain View Public Library

Arbovirus Research: Vaccine Development and Beyond

Gwong-Jen Jeff Chang, DVM, PhD, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, CDC, Fort Collins, CO

Arthropod-borne virus (Arbovirus) is a group of viruses transmitted by arthropod such as mosquito and tick. More than 2 billion people are at risk of infection from members of Arbovirus, including Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), yellow fever virus (YFV), West Nile virus (WNV), tick-borne encephalitis viruses (TBEV), and dengue viruses. This talk will review the virology and epidemiology of Arbovirus and discuss the current status of vaccine development against JEV, WNV and dengue viruses. In addition, Dr Chang will share his career experience working in a government research institute for 18 years.

Dr Gwong-Jen Chang is currently team leader of Molecular Epidemiology and Immunochemistry Laboratory at Division of Vector-Bourne Infectious Diseases, CDC, Fort Collins, Colorado. He has worked on Arbovirus over 20 years and has more than 50 scientific publications and patent applications. Dr Chang has won five CDC awards since 2001 and served as reviewer of several well-known journals, US NIH Study Group and Taiwan NHRI Research Grant. He holds a Ph.D. degree in microbiology from Colorado State University, a master degree in veterinary medicine from National Taiwan University, and a bachelor degree in veterinary science from National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.

Vaccine Development Against Avian Influenza H5N1

Min-Shi Lee, MPH, PhD, MedImmune Vaccines, Mountain View, CA

Historically, three influenza pandemics killing more than hundreds of thousand persons globally have occurred in 1918, 1957 and 1968. The emergences of the three influenza pandemics were related to cross-species transmission between animal and human hosts. Since January 2004, outbreaks of influenza H5N1 virus have occurred in poultry farms in several Asia countries (i.e., avian flu) and this avian flu H5N1 virus has also caused 34 fatal cases in Vietnam and Thailand by January 2005. The H5N1 outbreaks seem to be under control in summer 2004 but emerge again this winter. Due to the potential risk of influenza pandemic caused by the H5N1 viruses, many national and international agencies are working closely to develop a global control program including vaccine development. This talk will review the strategy for developing human vaccine against avian influenza H5N1.

Min-Shi Lee, PhD, has been an epidemiologist working on vaccine development of parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza viruses at MedImmune Vaccines (formerly Aviron) since 1999. Prior to joining MedImmune Vaccines, Dr Lee had worked on surveillance and control of measles, Japanese encephalitis, and dengue viruses in Taiwan government (Department of Health). He holds a Ph.D. degree in epidemiology from Oxford University, a master degree in public health from National Taiwan University, and a bachelor degree in medical technology from National Yang-Ming Medical College (currently National Yang-Ming University), Taipei, Taiwan. Dr Lee has more than 20 scientific publications and patent applications.