The Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio (VDCoSA) brings together researchers who support the development of vaccines at all stages: from A (antigens, adjuvants, antibodies) to V (vectors, variants, vaccination). In 2023, we’re looking to make a little noise. We’ve previously had 10-minute lightning talks for trainees, and this year we’re bringing the thunder, with 10-minute thunder talks for faculty. For 2023, we will also be including research related to the development of cancer vaccines. It's about time.
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For the 2023 VDCoSA Annual Gathering, we’re continuing to spread the good word throughout Texas: Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Texas Biomedical Research Institute (TX Biomed), The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB), Texas Children's Hospital, University of Texas at Austin, Rice University and Trinity University.
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See what we’ve been up to. Invite your most innovative colleagues and join us in San Antonio for the 2023 Annual VDCoSA Conference. We’ve crafted an incredible lineup of presenters who are prepared to introduce you to new strategies, insights and provocative ideas that spark biomedical innovation. Registration is once again open but guests will not be able to submit abstracts, receive lunches or obtain a printed badge. We will have badges you can write your name on.
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He is a Director of Bacterial Vaccines and Technology currently leading Pfizer’s meningococcal vaccine research. Murthy was the first graduate of UTSA Cell and Molecular biology PhD program and studied Chlamydia, Francisella, and Vibrio infections. As a research faculty member, in collaboration with UTSA's Bernard Arulanandam and UTHSCSA's Guangming Zhong, Murthy described the immunological composition of a Chlamydia preventive vaccine generating two U.S. patents that were licensed to Merck and Co for development. Before joining Pfizer, Murthy was the Associate Dean for Research at Midwestern University (MWU) and led the new College of Veterinary Medicine to full accreditation. As a tenured Professor of Pathology at MWU, he made seminal discoveries of the role of CD8 T cells in pathogenesis of mucosal infections.
My long-term interest centers on understanding mechanisms that regulate innate immune cell generation and function in cancer and inflammation, with the goal to use this knowledge to advance new cancer immunotherapies. We use multidisciplinary approaches and collaborate with an array of translational and clinical investigators, allowing us to examine clinically-relevant questions. My laboratory research projects center on delineating how extracellular factors and the gut microbiome affect the function of antigen-presenting cells in the tumor microenvironment, response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, and propensity for ICI-associated colitis. In addition, a primary focus of our group is to advance use of our type 1 conventional dendritic cell (cDC1) vaccine in cancer immunotherapy-refractory tumors.
The Zhong lab has been using chlamydial interactions with host mucosal tissues to investigate the mechanisms of inflammatory pathology and pathogenic fibrosis, to reveal the cellular and molecular basis of mucosal immunity, and to evaluate the microbiota impacts on host physiology and pathology. The Zhong lab has identified key determinants that can affect the outcomes of microbe-host interactions and uncovered novel mechanisms of transmucosal protection. Recent research efforts from the Zhong lab have led to the development of a live-attenuated oral Chlamydia vaccine that has been licensed by Blue Water Biotech, Inc.
graduate student Lightning talks: cash prizes of $200, $100 and $100.Â
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Postdoc/staff scientist lightning talks:Â cash prizes of $200, $100, and $100.
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 Posters: Ten cash prizes of $100. graduate students, postdocs, and staff scientists will all be competing for the same poster money. your reputation is on the line.Â
abstract submission closed october 25.
Career Development Panel moderated by Texas Biomed's Chrissy Leopold Wager. Panelists include Luisa Caetano-Davies, Associate Director Process Development and Automation in Cell Therapy at Takeda; Elissa Wong, Biologist and Acting Team Lead in the Division of Ophthalmic Devices at FDA; Tucker Piergallini, Assistant Biosafety Officer at University of Pennsylvania; Susana Mendez, Program Officer in the Respiratory Diseases Branch at NIH; and Floyd L. Wormley, Jr., Professor and Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies, Texas Christian University.This will be an informal discussion powered by questions from the graduate students, postdocs and staff scientists in the audience.
Five Postdoc or Staff Scientist Lightning Talks (10 minutes)
11:30 - 11:45 am | Ahmed Elsayed, Texas Biomed
11:45 am - Noon | Austin Negron, UTSA
Noon - 12:15 pm | Chrissy Leopold Wager, Texas Biomed
12:15 -12:30 pm | Pinghan Huang, University of Texas Medical Branch
12:30 - 12:45 pm | Susanta Pahari, Texas Biomed
The Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio (VDCoSA) has been bringing scientists together since 2012, when it was first founded to foster a more collaborative and inter-disciplinary culture. VDCoSA's two major focuses have always been to encourage collaboration among scientists in vaccine research, which includes applying for grants to fund collaborative proposals, and to host an annual symposium on infectious diseases, immunology and vaccines.
In the words of VDCoSA's founding executive director, Ken Trevett, "Science is a team effort. This Center is built on the extraordinary power of people working together."
Attending a scientific conference for the first time is a memorable experience. Perhaps you attended with a more senior colleague or advisor who mentored you throughout and helped make introductions. Or maybe you attended with a group of students from your university, and you stuck together as a pack. But many people attend their first conference alone and aren't sure what to expect or what they want out of it. SPIE has some advice for you.