IRIDS Virtual Science Talks

Welcome to the IRIDS Virtual Science Talks

The spirit of IRIDS

IRIDS (International Roche Infectious Diseases Symposium) comprises a series of scientific and educational events taking place since 2009, addressing some of the most significant, up-to-date topics in the field of infectious disease (ID) management and diagnosis. IRIDS is the perfect forum for laboratory experts and clinical specialists from around the world, to exchange insights and expertise in the infectious diseases field.

The IRIDS Virtual Science Talks

In 2022, and across 2023, several webinars will take place to engage, inform, and inspire healthcare professionals all over the world. Scientists and industry leaders will share their thoughts and experiences within the field of infectious diseases, on a platform built to facilitate and enhance conversations and sometimes also debates.

Three reasons to attend

Stay up to date on the global trends and most significant development on infectious diseases.

Discover more about trends and current innovations around SARS-CoV-2, viral hepatitis, sexual transmitted diseases, and congenital infection, just to mention a few.

Connect with lab experts, clinicians, industry leaders from other countries.

Attendance to the IRIDS Virtual is free of charge. No CME points will be provided, but it will be possible to get a Certificate of Attendance.

Agenda

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Very common, but often unknown. Sharing knowledge on CMV prevention and diagnosis during pregnancy

Speaker's name to be announced by January 2023

13^th of April 2023

13:00 - 14:00 CET

(date might still be subject to change)

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous virus that is usually harmless.¹ Most people have been infected with it, but do not have symptoms, and in almost all cases they have never heard of CMV.² The other side of the coin is that CMV is the first worldwide cause of congenital viral infection, which means every minute 2 to 3 babies born with a CMV congenital infection, and 1 in 5 children born with congenital CMV infection will develop permanent problems due to this virus, such as hearing loss, vision impairment, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and decreased muscle strength and coordination.^3,4,5 Congenital CMV (cCMV) infection is a public health issue, which causes a burden exceeding that caused by other childhood diseases such as Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and spina bifida.⁶ Said that, real intervention measures to fight it effectively are already available but not always in place. In this webinar you will learn more about the prevention strategies to reduce congenital CMV infection. Whether it is a primary, secondary or tertiary measure, current barriers to their implementations, and opportunities will be discussed.

Unveiling the potential of T cell response monitoring in the changing landscape of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Nina Germič, PhD
Assoc. Global Medical Affairs Manager Infection & Immunity
RDS Clinical Development and Medical Affairs (CDMA)
Roche Diagnostics International Ltd.

Qian Feng, PhD
Clinical Development Leader Infection & Immunity
RDS Clinical Development and Medical Affairs (CDMA)
Roche Diagnostics International Ltd.

1^st of December 2022

13:00 - 14:00 pm CET

Watch the recording

It's been more than two years since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.⁷ Despite the end of the COVID-19 pandemic being in sight, the virus is still “intensely circulating” around the world. Recommendations regarding vaccination of most at-risk groups, continued testing and sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and integrating effective treatment for COVID-19 into primary healthcare systems remain of primary importance.⁸

As the world moves toward endemicity, challenges will continue to arise, as will new solutions, like the possibility of monitoring the T cell response.

In this webinar you will learn more about the potential role T cell responses may play in the changing landscape of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We will discuss their contribution to vaccine protection against severe COVID-19 disease, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and against viral variants that partially escape from recognition by neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). Information about methods available to measure it, and use cases will be discussed, based on most up-to-date scientific knowledge.

Meet the speakers

Qian Feng, Ph.D

Qian Feng, Ph.D, is a virologist and immunologist with a broad experience as a Research Scientist in the fields of molecular virology, cell biology and immunometabolism. Qian has studied Biomedical Research at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in the Netherlands. She trained on poliovirus replication at NIAID, NIH in Bethesda and on hepatitis C virus host-tissue tropism at the Rockefeller University in New York, before obtaining her PhD degree on immune activation and evasion by picornaviruses at the University Utrecht. Before joining Roche, Qian worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the ETH Zurich, where she focused on mitochondrial biology, cellular metabolism, and their regulatory role in T cell differentiation and function. She is now Clinical Scientist Infectious Diseases in the Medical and Scientific Affairs team of Roche Diagnostics International.

Nina Germič, PhD

Nina Germič, PhD, is an Assoc. Global Medical Affairs Manager in the Infectious Diseases team. She joined Roche Diagnostics International in 2021 as an Intern in Medical Affairs Critical Care. Nina obtained her PhD degree in immunology and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Pharmacology, University of Bern, where she investigated the cellular functions of eosinophils, the autophagy process, and its implications for cancer and bacterial infections. As a visiting scientist, she was researching the innate immune response after influenza vaccination at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Bellinzona. She holds a Master of Pharmacy from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Webinar recording

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Nina Germič, PhD & Qian Feng, PhD

Unveiling the potential of T cell response monitoring in the changing landscape of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

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'Highly dangerous, highly unknown. Sharing knowledge on CMV prevention, and diagnosis' planned for April 13th, 2023 from 13:00 to 14:00 CET (date might still be subject to change. Speaker's name to be announced by January 2023)

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References:

Fowler, K., et al. A systematic literature review of the global seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus: possible implications for treatment, screening, and vaccine development. BMC Public Health 2022;22, 1659.
Cannon MJ. Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) epidemiology and awareness. J Clin Virol. 2009;46(Suppl 4):S6–10. pmid:19800841.
United Nations. World Population Prospects 2022. [Internet; cited 2022 Nov 29]. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/MostUsed/
Perillaud-Dubois C, et al. Current practices of management of maternal and congenital Cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy after a maternal primary infection occurring in first trimester of pregnancy: Systematic review. PLoS ONE 2022;16(12): e0261011.
CDC. Congenital CMV Infection. [Internet; cited 2022 Nov 29]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/cmv/clinical/congenital-cmv.html#print
Cannon M.J., Davis K.F. Washing our hands of the congenital cytomegalovirus epidemics. BMC Public Health. 2005;5:70.
World Health Organization. WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19-11 March 2020. [Internet; 2020 March; cited 2022 October 13]. Available from: https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020.
United Nations News. The end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight: WHO. [Internet; 2022 September; cited 2022 October 13]. Available from: https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1126621.