Gastroenteric infections are a leading cause of illness and death of children in resource-limited regions and vaccines are a crucial response to keep people healthy and save lives. Vaccine development is a lengthy process that is designed to ensure effectiveness and safety. Years of public health surveillance and research in the lab happens before a vaccine candidate is even tested in people. In her talk, Khandra will give a brief overview of the vaccine development pipeline then focus on the early stages of vaccine development. She will give a brief overview of the large-scale studies performed to help us understand which pathogens are causing disease and how prevalent they are. She will discuss the specific strategies she has worked on to prevent infection caused by Salmonella, including genetic engineering to modify bacteria to make them suitable vaccine candidates.

Khandra Sears is a vaccinologist with a PhD in Microbiology. She is a Research Associate in the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland where her main focus is developing vaccines against bacteria that cause intestinal infections. The Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health has been driven by a singular vision: to promote health and equity by defeating infectious diseases affecting millions, particularly vulnerable populations.

Sunday, June 23
11-12:30pm
7 Saxon Woods Rd.
White Plains, NY

Register: https://bit.ly/DevelopingVaccines