UNSW - VIRL events
Launch of UNSW-VIRL
Venue: Oceanic West Room, Crowne Plaza Hotel, 242 Arden Street, Coogee (free event – registration is essential) REGISTER HERE . Inquiries: Elizabeth Kpozehouen: Email - e.kpozehouen@unsw.edu.au; Phone number - 02 9385 1192
Time: 28/03/2017 9am
UNSW Vaccine & Infection Research Lab (UNSW-VIRL)
The launch of UNSW VIRL will be a one-off unveiling, curated by Professor Raina MacIntyre, Head of School and program lead for the elderly vaccines program.
We are expecting a fantastic audience to attend the event, including academic experts, policy makers and national and NSW media. Our goal is to bring together bright minds to give talks that are idea-focused, and on a range of subjects, to foster learning, inspiration and action – and provoke conversations that matter about adult vaccinations.
Our mission statement
To reduce the immunisation gap between adults and children through research, teaching and advocacy, with a special focus on the elderly, high risk and vulnerable populations.
Who we are
We are a group of academic researchers based at SPHCM UNSW, who are recognised international leaders in immunisation and vaccinology research. Our primary area of focus is adult and high risk group immunisation, with a focus on vulnerable populations including the elderly, migrants, refugees, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, immunosuppressed people and health workers. Our research expertise spans clinical trials, epidemiology, mathematical modelling, health economics, big data and data linkage, social and behavioural research, as well as policy and evaluation. We engage in research, advocacy and teaching, with several options for higher studies in infectious diseases and vaccinology.
Program
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Event Date: Mon, 26/06/2017 - 09:00
Venue:Pullman Albert Park Melbourne
Civil-Military Systems for collaborative responses to Infectious Disease and Deliberate Biological Events
A pre-CDC Conference workshop Monday 26th June 2017 0900-1300h
Explore the current Australian civil-military cooperative framework for responding to epidemics. This workshop will touch on the key interfaces between the civil and military health systems, the place of the ADF in responding to crises, and the technology and systems in place for working within multi-agency response events. Information, analysis and comparison with overseas civil-military frameworks and responses to epidemic crises that have occurred recently will be outlined. This workshop is suited to both civilian and military health, as well as scientific and operational response personnel who wish to better understand issues of preparedness, operational conduct and recovery utilising civil-military operational responses in the Australian context. Representatives from the following organisations will present at this workshop – Joint Health Command, Special Operations Command, Special Operations Engineer Regiment, Defence Science and Technology Group, SPHCM, UNSW VIRL, and the Australian National University. This workshop is presented by the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence Integrated Systems in Epidemic Response (ISER).
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Date: 26 June 2017
Venue: The Element Room, The Pullman Mercure Albert Park Hotel, 65 Queens Road, Melbourne 3004.
Adult vaccination is an expanding field, with more and more vaccines now available to prevent infections in adults. UNSW VIRL is pleased to host a dinner symposium ‘Prevention of pneumonia and respiratory infections in adults to highlight importance of adult vaccination and the research of UNSW VIRL. The event is open only to people registered for the Communicable Diseases Control Conference 2017. Join us after the Communicable Diseases Control Conference Welcome Reception, for dinner and the latest updates in the field
Monday 26th June 2017, 7pm - 9pm, The Element Room, The Pullman Mercure Albert Park Hotel, 65 Queens Road, Melbourne 3004.
Who we are:
UNSW VIRL is a group of academic researchers based at The School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW, who are international leaders in immunisation and vaccinology research. Our primary area of focus is adult and high risk group immunisation, with a focus on vulnerable populations including the elderly, migrants, refugees, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, immunosuppressed people and health workers. Our research expertise spans clinical trials, epidemiology, mathematical modelling, health economics, big data and data linkage, social and behavioural research as well as policy and evaluation. We engage in research, advocacy and teaching, with a large range of offerings in postgraduate studies in infectious diseases and vaccinology.Program (Chair Dr Rob Menzies)
6:30 pm : Registrations
7:10 pm: Tip of the iceberg – relationship of viral and bacterial infections of respiratory tract, Professor Raina
MacIntyre, UNSW VIRL
7:30 pm : Global burden of influenza studies – where does Australia fit?, Dr David Muscatello, UNSW VIRL
7:50 pm: “Vaccine myopia” - addressing the low vaccination rates in adults, Dr Rob Menzies, Senior Lecturer,
UNSW VIRL
8.10pm: What’s new and what’s old in adult pneumonia , Professor Paul Torzillo, University of Sydney -
Date: 6 June 2018
Venue: Gilbert Suite, Adelaide Convention Centre
Venue: Gilbert Suite, Adelaide Convention Centre, North Terrace, Adelaide
See FLYER for more information
Who we are:
UNSW VIRL is a group of academic researchers based at UNSW, who are international leaders in immunisation and vaccinology research. Our primary area of focus is adult and high risk group immunisation, with a focus on vulnerable populations including the elderly, migrants, refugees, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, immunosuppressed people and health workers. Our research expertise spans clinical trials, epidemiology, mathematical modelling, health economics, big data and data linkage, social and behavioural research as well as policy and evaluation. We engage in research, advocacy and teaching, with a large range of offerings in postgraduate studies in infectious diseases and vaccinology.
Guest Speaker:
Dr Kathleen Harriman has served as Chief of the Vaccine Preventable Diseases Epidemiology Section at the California Department of Public Health since 2007. Prior to that, she worked for 15 years as an infectious disease epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health, including supervising the state-wide infection control program. She has also worked as a paediatric emergency room nurse and as an infection preventionist at a children’s hospital. Kathy is currently a voting member of the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Kathy received her MPH from the University of Sydney and her PhD from the University of Minnesota. -
DATE:08/06/2018
VENUE: Berg Family Foundation Seminar Room, Level 6, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Sydney.
VIEW FLYER FOR MORE INFORMATION
Professor Stefan Gravenstein Professor of Medicine and Public Health, Brown University, USA. Dr Stefan Gravenstein is an internationally-renowned geriatrician and Professor of Medicine and Public Health at Brown University in USA, and Associate Director, Center of Innovation in Long-Term Services and Supports for Vulnerable Veterans at the Veterans Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island. He completed internal medicine residency and geriatrics fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and William S Middleton Veterans Administration Medical Center, where he joined the faculty and was tenured prior to joining Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS). At EVMS, he became the John Franklin Chair of Geriatrics, Director of the Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology until being recruited to Brown University in Providence, RI, USA. There he became and remains the Clinical Director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Quality Improvement Organisation and Network, Quality Partners of Rhode Island (now Healthcentric Advisors), which oversees quality improvement work for The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in New England.
Abstract:
Aging and multiple morbidities increase the risk for severe outcomes from influenza. 90% of hospitalisations relating to pneumonia and influenza occur in those aged 65 and older, even though they only comprise 15% of the population. As people age, so the impact of influenza changes from primarily respiratory to cardio-respiratory outcomes. A long lament has been that influenza vaccine is least effective for those who need it most. Several approaches have sought to improve vaccine effectiveness but few have been formally studied through prospective randomized-controlled trials. The presentation will largely focus on clinical outcomes from the randomized controlled trials for vaccines licensed for healthy elderly. This will specifically relate to primary endpoints of protocol-defined influenza in healthy people, and all-cause hospitalisation among frail elderly living in long-term care settings. Related post-hoc analyses from the long-term care studies will also discuss relative duration of benefits to respiratory and non-respiratory outcomes and the presumed mechanism for these, and herd immunity.
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Date: 21/06/2018
Venue: Berg Family Foundation Seminar Room, Level 6, Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Sydney
VIEW FLYER FOR MORE INFORMATION
Bio of speaker:
Professor Daniel Salmon, PhD, MPH is Professor, International Health and Health, Behavior & Society and Deputy Director, Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. Dr. Salmon’s primary research and practice interest is optimizing the prevention of infectious diseases through the use of vaccines. He is broadly trained in vaccinology, with an emphasis in epidemiology, behavioral epidemiology, and health policy. Dr. Salmon’s focus has been on determining the individual and community risks of vaccine refusal, understanding factors that impact vaccine acceptance, evaluating and improving state laws providing exemptions to school immunization requirements, developing systems and science in vaccine safety, and effective vaccine risk communication. Dr. Salmon has considerable experience developing surveillance systems, using surveillance data for epidemiological studies, and measuring immunization coverage through a variety of approaches.
Abstract:
Multi-Level Interventions to Address Vaccine Hesitancy and Improve Vaccine Uptake
Vaccine hesitancy remains a significant clinical and public health challenge despite the overwhelming evidence demonstrating the benefits and safety of vaccines. Many pregnant women and parents undervalue vaccines and hold misconceptions regarding vaccine safety, undermining efforts to control infectious diseases and related morbidity and mortality. We have developed and are evaluating patient, practice and provider interventions to address vaccine hesitancy and improve vaccine uptake. Our patient-level intervention is a web-based application using audience segmentation to tailor messages such that patients who intend to follow vaccinations standards of care receive a presumptive approach to vaccination and those who hold vaccine concerns receive salient messages grounded in behavioral theory. Our practice-level interventions include nurturing a vaccine champion, a quality improvement program (AFIX), posters and brochures. Our provider-level intervention involves a continuing medical education training on how to talk about vaccines with patients and a book succinctly describing vaccine preventable diseases, vaccine recommendations, a broad range of vaccine safety topics, and talking points to use with patients. These interventions are consistent in approach, messaging and images. Evaluation of these interventions is underway through a randomized trial assessing knowledge, attitudes and beliefs as well as maternal and infant vaccine uptake.Contact for inquiries: Rata Joseph, +61 (2) 9385 0900 or recpt@kirby.unsw.edu.au