In this talk, Akiko Iwasaki will discuss the impact of mutations of variants on vaccine-induced immunity, the key adaptive immune players in clearance of primary infection and prevention of infection induced by vaccines, and new vaccine strategy to elicit mucosal immunity to block infection and disease. Finally, Dr. Iwasaki will touch on long COVID disease pathogenesis and ongoing studies.
Presenter
Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, is the Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University, and Investigator of Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She received her PhD from University of Toronto in Canada and her postdoctoral training from National Institutes of Health. Her research focuses on mechanisms of immune defense against viruses at the mucosal surfaces. She is Lead Investigator of the Yale COVID-19 Recovery Study, which aims to determine the changes in immune response of people with long COVID after vaccination. Dr. Iwasaki also leads multiple other studies to interrogate the pathobiology of long COVID.
Moderator
A/Prof Jonny Peter is a physician, specialised in internal medicine at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. In February 2016, Jonathan was registered with the HPCSA as the first adult allergologist in South Africa, and is Head of the Division of Allergology and Clinical Immunology at Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town and the Allergy and Immunology unit, UCT Lung Institute. Current clinical and research interests include: i) immune-mediated adverse drug reactions ii) urticaria and angioedema, as well as the intersection between COVID19 and immunogenomic pathways associated with Angioedema iii) primary immunodeficiencies, and iv) the aerobiology of South Africa. Jonathan has over 80 publications in high impact factor journals, and H-index of 36. His research work is supported by international and local grant funding from the NIH, EDCTP, SA NRF and MRC.
