Countdown to HIVR4P

Only four more days to go before the HIVR4P 2016 conference begins, and ACO looks forward to connecting with you in Chicago! Join us for a half-day satellite session, Beyond Viral Neutralization, with guest speakers, Andrés Finzi (Université de Montréal), Marzena Pazgier (University of Maryland), David Evans (University of Wisconsin), Guido Ferrari (Duke University Medical Center), George Lewis (University of Maryland), Matt Parsons (University of Melbourne), and Nicole Bernard (McGill University).

The session will be held in Sheraton Ballroom III at the Sheraton Grand Chicago, October 21st (Friday) at 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Visit the ACO website for more information, and to view the presentation titles from each speaker.

If you are attending HIVR4P 2016, please send us an email at aco@icid.com so that we can connect with you in Chicago, and keep you informed of ACO and Alliance member activities.

Researcher in Focus

ACO continues to feature Canadian researchers who are making an impact in HIV vaccine research and development. At the CAHR Conference held in Winnipeg, Manitoba (May 2016), HIV researcher Dr. Jocelyn Wessels, talked to us about her research on the effect of sex work on the vaginal microbiome. Dr. Wessels works at McMaster University in the lab of Dr. Charu Kaushic.

Watch the Video

Upcoming Event

SAVE THE DATE!
Symposium: “Global Challenges of Viral Infections”
Monday, May 8, 2017 | 15:30 - 17:00
*Registration opens October 20, 2016*

This symposium will be held at the World Health Summit – Regional Meeting North America on May 8-9, 2017 at Palais des congrès, Montréal, Canada. Symposium speakers and presentation titles are as follows: David Margolis (University of North Carolina, USA) “How to build an AIDS-free generation: Can we add viral eradication to the tool box?”; Greg Dore (University of New South Wales, Australia) “HCV: From care to cure”; Gary Kobinger (Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada) “Ebola Virus: Emergency clinical progression of Ebola vaccines and treatments”; Pierre Formenty (World Health Organization, Switzerland) “Emerging viral infections”. This event will be chaired by Dr. Éric A. Cohen of the IRCM/Université de Montréal, and co-chaired by Dr. Gary Kobinger of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

In the News

Top scientist trains sights on getting HIV vaccine, cure
Daily Nation, September 22, 2016

One Kenyan may soon place Kenya as the first nation whose citizen found a vaccine and a cure for HIV. Professor Thumbi Ndung’u— head of Kwazulu Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV pathogenesis — has been studying the virus for 27 years, as well as tracking the scientific developments aimed at finding a cure and vaccine for AIDS.

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Selexis SA and IAVI Expand Collaboration to Advance Multiple HIV Vaccine Candidates Toward Clinical Testing
BusinessWire, September 22, 2016

Selexis SA, a pioneering life sciences company and global leader in mammalian (suspension-adapted CHO-K1) cell line generation, announced today that it has expanded its collaboration with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). Under two additional service agreements, making three in total, Selexis will develop high-performance research cell banks to manufacture multiple HIV envelope proteins engineered by scientists at IAVI’s Neutralizing Antibody Center (NAC) at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and other parts of TSRI to help induce the generation of neutralizing antibodies against HIV through vaccination.

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Broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies pave the way for vaccine
ScienceDaily, September 26, 2016

A small number of people infected with HIV produce antibodies with an amazing effect: Not only are the antibodies directed against the own virus strain, but also against different sub-types of HIV that circulate worldwide. Researchers now reveal which factors are responsible for the human body forming such broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies, thereby opening new avenues for the development of an HIV vaccine.

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New Research

Co-receptor Binding Site Antibodies Enable CD-4 Mimetics to Expose Conserved Anti-cluster A ADCC Epitopes on HIV-1 Envelope Glycoproteins
EBioMedicine (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.09.004,
Richard J, Pacheco B, Gohain N, Veillette M, et al.

Microbiome Composition and Function Drives Wound-Healing Impairment in the Female Genital Tract.
PLoS Pathog. 2016 Sep 22;12(9):e1005889. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005889. eCollection 2016.
Zevin AS, Xie IY, Birse K, Arnold K, et al.

Pox-Protein Public Private Partnership Program and Upcoming HIV Vaccine Efficacy Trials.
Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2016 Sep 15. [Epub ahead of print]
Russell ND, Marovich MA.

Novel Approaches in Preclinical HIV Vaccine Research.
Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2016 Sep 15. [Epub ahead of print]
Safrit JT, Koff WC.

Grants and Funding Opportunities

CIHR: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (2016-2017)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 2016-11-02

Fellowship: 2016-2017
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 2016-11-01

Fellowship: Fall 2016 Priority Announcement (Specific Research Areas)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 2016-11-01

Foundation Grant: 2016-2017
APPLICATION DEADLINE STAGE 1: 2016-10-13 / STAGE 2: 2017-03-14

Master’s Award: 2016-2017
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 2016-12-01

View other CIHR Funding Opportunties

NIH-NIAID: September 2016 DAIDS Council-Approved Concepts

Detection of HIV for Self-Testing

Dysregulation of Immune Cell Regulatory Pathways by Mtb in the Context of HIV Infection

View other NIH-NIAID Funding Opportunities

Conferences

October 11 – 14, 2016
34th Annual Symposium on Nonhuman Primate Models for AIDS
New Orleans, USA

October 17 - 20, 2016
HIV Research for Prevention
Chicago, USA

October 24 – 26, 2016
OHTN Conference Series: Conference 1 – Closing the Gaps in the Care Cascade
Toronto, CA

November 21 – 22, 2016
OHTN Conference Series: Conference 2 – Stopping the Syndemics that Drive HIV
Toronto, CA

December 3 - 4, 2016
National HIV PrEP Summit
San Francisco, USA

December 6 - 8, 2016
12th Canadian Immunization Conference (CIC 2016)
Ottawa, CA

December 11-15, 2016
Antibody Engineering & Therapeutics
San Diego, USA

See full list of conferences