Past Event
14 November 2018 - 18 November 2018,
Vellore, India
Co‑chaired by Gangandeep (Cherry) Kang (Christian Medical College (CMC), India), Kanta Subbarao (WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research in Influenza, Australia), John Wood (NIBSC, UK) and Rebecca Cox (University of Bergen, Norway
59 participants, the majority from India and international students from Argentina, Brazil, Bangladesh, Belgium, and Nigeria.
Five-day intensive program with two cross cutting themes on viral respiratory pathogens. Comprehensive focus with key virological concepts, laboratory methods, and real-world applications on influenza, RSV and SARS-CoV-2. Student presentations and daily interactive student activities, lab demonstrations, and networking.
Daily ‘social problem’ exercise with teaching faculty to encourage networking and social program visiting the Vellore Fort, Golden Temple, college climb, and school dinner.
Faculty Highlights: leading Indian and international expert provided lecturers and interactive training.
The feedback commented on the excellent teaching programme of both lectures and interactive sessions, and the teaching faculty was first class. Students commented on how privileged they were to attend and how enjoyable the school was.
| Day 1: 14 November 2022 | ||
| Welcome and opening of School | Gagandeep Kang (CMC, India) Rebecca Cox (University of Bergen, Norway) | |
| Ice breaker session-Matching game | ||
| Cross-cutting themes | Global impact of respiratory viruses | Maria Zambon UK Health Security Agency, UK) |
| Virological and genomic surveillance of respiratory viruses | Kanta Subbarao (WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research in Influenza, Australia) | |
| Respiratory viruses at the animal/human interface | Malik Pieris (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) | |
| Clinical presentation and disease burden of respiratory virus infections | Chris Chiu (Imperial College, UK) | |
| Diagnostic tools for respiratory virus infections | Mahesh Moorthy (Christian Medical College, India) | |
| Visit to Clinical Virology, Clinical Microbiology and Wellcome Laboratories | ||
| Visit to Vellore Fort | ||
| Day 2: 15 November 2022 | ||
| Recap from student representative | ||
| EU India projects | New influenza vaccine initiatives in India | Representatives INDIGO INCENTIVE ENDFLU |
| Influenza Virus | Seasonal and pandemic influenza: antigenic variation and epidemiology- | Malik Pieris (The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) |
| Viral structure and replication | Wendy Barclay (Imperial College, UK) | |
| Influenza Vaccines | Kanta Subbarao (WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research in Influenza, Australia) | |
| Universal flu vaccines and learnings for pancoronavirus vaccines | Barney Graham (Morehouse School of Medicine, USA) | |
| Quiz for students | ||
| Antivirals | Maria Zambon (UK Health Security Agency, UK) | |
| Respiratory Syncytial Virus | Impact of RSV | Chris Chiu (Imperial College, UK) |
| RSV vaccine development, including viral structure | Barney Graham (Morehouse School of Medicine, USA) | |
| Human challenge model for respiratory viruses | Chris Chiu (Imperial College, UK) | |
| Visit to Golden Temple | ||
| Day 3:16 November 2022 | ||
| Recap from student representative | ||
| STUDENT PRESENTATIONS | Chaired by John Wood | |
| SARS-CoV-2 | Viral structure and replication/Coronavirus Biology | Leo Poon (The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) |
| Impact of SARS-CoV-2 – the COVID-19 pandemic | Soumya Swaminathan (India) | |
| Long Covid and post-infectious sequelae | Rebecca Cox (University of Bergen, Norway) | |
| Antivirals | Maria Zambon (UK Health Security Agency, UK) | |
| Analysis of SARS-CoV2 data from Vellore | Winsley Rose/Venkat Raghava | |
| Student activity: Statistical exercise | Goundappa K. Balasubramani | |
| School dinner: Hillside Resort | ||
| Day 4: 17 November 2022 | ||
| Recap from student representative | ||
| Cross-Cutting Themes | Immunology of respiratory virus infections | Rafi Ahmed (Emory University, USA) |
| Correlates of protective immunity | Rebecca Cox (University of Bergen, Norway) | |
| Genetic databases and analysis | Sebastian Maurer Stroh, GSAID | |
| Student workshop on phylogenetic analysis | Sebastian Maurer Strohn GSAID | |
| Role of the National Institute of Virology | Priya Abraham, (National Institute of Virology, India) | |
| Round table: Public health strategies for control of the COVID-19 pandemic and lessons learned | Moderated by Priya Abraham-Faculty | |
| Climb College Hill | ||
| Day 5: 18 November 2022 | ||
| Recap from student representative | ||
| Cross-Cutting Themes | Journal Club presentations with faculty | |
| Development of a national vaccination policy | Rakesh Aggarwa (Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), India) | |
| Vaccine safety and effectiveness | Goundappa K. Balasubramani (University of Pittsburgh, USA) | |
| Communication and misinformation in a pandemic | Gagandeep Kang (Christian Medical College, India) | |
| Student activity: Communication strategy | Jude Jayamaha/Thomas Abraham | |
| Student exercise: SPOT THE PROBLEM (Vaccine development/Surveillance/Vaccine effectiveness) | Moderator: Jacob John | |
| Presentation of certificates and closing remarks | John Wood (NIBSC, UK) Rebecca Cox (University of Bergen, Norway) | |
ISIRV Scholars Photographs
Scholarship recipients 17 from Christian Medical College and 7 Lars Haaheim scholarships.
Row 1 (TOP:Left to right)- Gagandeep Kang, Yadhu Sharma, Farha Salim, Srinigila B, Arya U M, John Wood
Row 2 (Middle: left to right)- Dhiraj Agarwal, Sara Khaleeq, Vivek Vijay, Manish, Aneesh B, Lekshmi V S, Abhila Asi, Nisha Bhandari, Priya P, Chippy P S, Megha Chandran, Soorya S Kumar
Row 3 (Bottom: left to right)- Rebecca Cox, Meenakshi Mohan S. Karthika S Nair, Binod Kumar, Nishi Kumari, Nidhi Mittal, Swathi Krishna N, Soundarya R H, Kanupriya Vashishth
*ISIRV Lars Haaheim Fellowship scholars names are marked in red/bold. Other scholars were supported by the Christian Medical College, Vellore.
