Healthy People, Healthy Animals
A 2-day symposium in infectious disease prevention
September 23-24, 2025
**Please note, this event is now sold out**
Join us as we celebrate 50 years of scientific excellence at VIDO’s Healthy People Healthy Animals Scientific Summit—a two-day event bringing together the brightest minds in infectious disease research. This summit will feature leading experts in virology, bacteriology, immunology, vaccine formulation and delivery, and both animal and non-animal models. Through engaging presentations and discussions, we will showcase groundbreaking research from global thought leaders while also highlighting VIDO’s contributions to advancing health for people and animals. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, collaborate, and shape the future of infectious disease preparedness.
Confirmed Speakers include:
- Dr. Alejandra Capozzo - Argentinean National Research Council
- Dr. Nicolas Collin - CEO, Vaccine Formulation Institute
- Dr. Jennifer Corcoran - University of Calgary
- Dr. JoAnne Flynn - University of Pittsburgh
- Dr. Scott Gray-Owen - University of Toronto
- Dr. Jörg Jores - University of Bern
- Dr. Jean-Philippe Julien - SickKids
- Dr. Paul Kubes - Queens University
- Dr. Thomas Mettenleiter - Former President Of The Federal Research Centre For Animal Health, Germany
- Dr. Chris Netherton - The Pirbright Institute
- Dr. Steven Rayan - quanTA, University of Saskatchewan
- Dr. David Safronetz - National Microbiology Lab, Winnipeg
Agenda
Sept. 23, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.: Conference Welcome - Volker Gerdts
8:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.: Bacteriology Session Introduction - Dr. Jeffrey Chen
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: Keynote - Defining protection against tuberculosis - Dr. Joanne Flynn, University of Pittsburgh
9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.: Deciphering of pathogenicity mechanisms and development of novel vaccines using Mycoplasma genome editing - Dr. Jörg Jores, University of Bern
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.: TIFAsome-dependent control of bacterial immunopathogenesis - Dr. Scott Gray-Owen, University of Toronto
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Networking Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: VIDO Research Program Highlights - Drs. Jeffery Chen (Mycobacterial weapons of destruction to TB in domestic pigs and a Canadian wildlife icon – new frontlines in the fight against TB), Arinjay Banerjee (From Reservoir to Patient: A One Health Perspective on Viral Evolution and Disease Emergence), and Antonio Facciuolo (Using a bovine intestinal loop model to characterize mucosal immune responses to enteric mycobacterial infection)
12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.: Lunch
1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Enabling Technologies Session Introduction - Dr. Andrew Van Kessel
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Keynote - Open-access adjuvants: a key enabling technology for Global Health vaccines - Dr. Nicolas Collin, Vaccine Formulation Institute
2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Transmission-blocking malaria vaccines: from structures to designs - Dr. Jean-Philippe Julien, Sick Kids
3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.: Quantum Computing for Vaccines: A Roadmap - Dr. Steven Rayan, quanTA, University of Saskatchewan
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: Networking Break
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Selected Abstract Presentations
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Networking Reception and Poster Session
Sept. 24, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.: Conference Welcome - Volker Gerdts
8:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.: Immunology and Vaccine Design Session Introduction - Dr. Heather Wilson
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.: Keynote - Dr. Paul Kubes, Queens University
9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.: Understanding FMD Vaccine Efficacy: The Role of Antibody Quality and Co-infections in Cattle - Dr. Alejandra Capozzo, Argentinean National Research Council
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.: Adenovirus-vectored vaccines against African swine fever - Dr. Chris Netherton, The Pirbright Institute
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Networking Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: VIDO Research Program Highlights: Drs. Yan Zhou (Crossing Boundaries: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Infection of Mammary Tissue and Zoonotic Risk), Darryl Falzarano (Pathogen preparedness toolkits: Approaches to developing pan-Lassa virus vaccines), and Gordon Broderick (The Art (and computational science) of Imitating Life: Digital mimicry in Vaccine Design
12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.: Lunch
1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.: Virology Session Introduction - Dr. Yan Zhou
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Keynote - One Health: the development and importance of a (not so) novel concept - Dr. Thomas Mettenleiter, former President of the Federal Research Centre for Animal Health, Germany
2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.: The importance of animal models in understanding and treating emerging viral diseases - Dr. David Safronetz, National Microbiology Lab, Winnipeg
3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.: A truncated SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein enhances virus fitness by evading antiviral responses - Dr. Jennifer Corcoran, University of Calgary
3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: Networking Break
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Selected Abstract Presentations
5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.: Networking Reception and Poster Session