Conference presentations and webcast archive are available, here: Post Conference Information
A National Academy of Engineering/Institute of Medicine Topical Meeting
Vaccine Production: Potential Engineering Approaches to a Pandemic
April 10-11, 2006
Hosted by Case Western Reserve University
Severance Hall
Cleveland, Ohio
The National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and other governmental and nongovernmental organizations have organized a Topical Meeting devoted to possible engineering responses to critical vaccine needs that might arise in the event of a worldwide, viral pandemic.
The goals of the meeting are to:
- Identify challenges to manufacturing influenza vaccines, including rapid production for pandemic influenza.
- Discuss specific approaches for increasing influenza vaccine production using both existing and "next generation" technologies.
- Provide a venue where a "community" of interested academic and industrial engineers, government regulators, and other scientists and physicians can bring an engineering perspective to critical demand situations.
- Identify research opportunities for young researchers and others new to the field.
Participants will review current technologies of vaccine production and explore alternative technologies, including unconventional approaches capable of scale-up in the event of a pandemic. Both current egg-based and alternative cell culture-based production technologies will be covered. Particular attention will be given to identifying novel approaches, including those currently used in non-pharmaceutical industries for other purposes.
The meeting is open to all interested professionals from both within the United States and abroad. Admission is free, but registration is required. Limited travel support is available for junior researchers.
For further information contact Professor Arthur Heuer, Meeting Chair, at arthur.heuer@case.edu.