Institute launch; 4 and 5 October, 2021

The Institute of Infection launch took place on October 4th and 5th, 2021.  This exciting 1.5-day onlline programme served to officially launch the Institute and showcase Imperial’s research strengths. Reflecting the vibrant community, more than 300 Imperial staff and students registered to attend one or both days and we were joined by external audiences from government, NHS Trusts, funders, industry, UK and international partners, and the media.

Julia Gillard presents at the Institute of Infection launch Play video
Main launch event

Watch our main launch event

The official launch included:

  • Welcome from Professor Alice Gast, President of Imperial College 
  • Keynote address from Ms Julia Gillard, Chair of the Wellcome Trust  
  • Overview of the Institute from Professors Charles Bangham and Jake Baum (co-Directors) 
  • Panel discussion with key members of the Imperial infection research community 
Session 1 speakers and chair Play video
Session 1 Chair and speakers

Watch Symposium Session 1 (start, 00:06:15)

Chair, Prof Ramesh Wigneshweraraj  (Infectious Disease)

Speakers

  • Dr Athina Georgiadou (Infectious Disease); Understanding malaria pathogenesis (00:07:00)
  • Prof Christl Donnelly (School of Public Health; on behalf of the REACT Team); Understanding the COVID-19 epidemic through the lens of the REACT study (00:20:00)
  • Dr Anna Barnard (Chemistry); Chemical tools to study toxin-antitoxin interactions (00:32:20)
  • Dr Rongjun Chen (Chemical Engineering); Bio-inspired nanoformulations for healthcare applications (00:43:45)
  • Dr Fadil Bidmos (Infectious Disease); Approaches for enhanced discovery & design of bacterial vaccine antigens (00:53:48)
  • Q and A (1:00:00)
Session 2 speakers and chair Play video
Session 2 Chair and speakers

Watch Symposium Session 2 (start, 01:54:39)

Chair, Prof Ann Dell  (Life Sciences)

Speakers

  • Prof Chris Chiu (Infectious Disease); Human respiratory virus challenge to understand pathogenesis and protection (01:56:02)
  • Dr Adrian Najer (Materials); Nanoengineering for antiviral and antimalarial applications (02:10:19)
  • Dr Calvin Tiengwe (Life Sciences); Evasion of Nutritional Immunity by African Trypanosomes (02:21:13)
  • Dr Ellie Sherrard-Smith (School of Public Health); Vector control and malaria: Challenges, product performance and strategy (02:32:01)
  • Q and A (02:41:57)
Session 3 speakers and chair Play video
Session 3 Chair and speakers

Watch Symposium Session 3 (start, 03:59:24)

Chair, Prof Nilay Shah  (Chemical Engineering)

Speakers

  • Prof Graham Cooke (Infectious Disease); How do we eliminate viral hepatitis? (04:00:13)
  • Dr Matthew Child (Life Sciences); Fantastic beasts and how to kill them (04:10:26)
  • Dr Rachel Edgar (Infectious Disease); Biological timing, homeostasis and viral infections (04:21:52)
  • Dr Nuria Oliva-Jorge (Bioengineering); Nanotechnology-enabled gene therapy for infection (04:32:36)
  • Dr Tiago Dias da Costa (Life Sciences); Architecture of a bacterial DNA transfer nanomachine (04:43:50)
  • Q and A (04:56:40)
Session 4 speakers and chair Play video
Session 4 Chair and speakers

Watch Symposium Session 4 (start, 05:49:13)

Chair, Prof Nilay Shah  (Chemical Engineering)

Speakers

  • Prof Robin Shattock (Infectious Disease); Translating early vaccine research and development (05:50:22)
  • Ms Kenny Malpartida-Cardenas (Electrical & Electronic Engineering); Molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases using microchip technology (06:05:05)
  • Prof Marisa Miraldo (Business School); Economics of Infectious Disease (06:15:27)
  • Prof Peter Openshaw (National Heart and Lung Institute); Science and pandemic preparedness: How prepared were we? (06:26:37)
  • Prof Faith Osier (Human Immunology Laboratory – IAVI); Translating science into global health impact (06:42:01)
  • Q and A (06:49:44)