Support The World's Smartest Network
×

Help the New York Academy of Sciences bring late-breaking scientific information about the COVID-19 pandemic to global audiences. Please make a tax-deductible gift today.

DONATE
This site uses cookies.
Learn more.

×

This website uses cookies. Some of the cookies we use are essential for parts of the website to operate while others offer you a better browsing experience. You give us your permission to use cookies, by continuing to use our website after you have received the cookie notification. To find out more about cookies on this website and how to change your cookie settings, see our Privacy policy and Terms of Use.

We encourage you to learn more about cookies on our site in our Privacy policy and Terms of Use.

Preparing for Emerging Viral Diseases: Lessons from SARS-CoV-2

WEBINAR

Only

Preparing for Emerging Viral Diseases: Lessons from SARS-CoV-2

Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 10:30 AM - 5:30 PM EDT

WEBINAR

Presented By

The New York Academy of Sciences

 

The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought the risks of emerging viral pathogens into sharp relief. Eight months into the pandemic, more than 18 million cases have been confirmed, and at least 700,000 people have died worldwide. Moreover the economic ramifications of prolonged shut downs are severe and likely to persist long term. However, the scientific community has mobilized like never before and rapid advances are being made in therapeutic and vaccine development. Technologies developed to combat other recent epidemics such as SARS and Ebola are now being adapted to fight SARS-CoV-2, underlining the importance of developing scientific tools that can quickly be modified and deployed against new viral threats. This symposium will examine state-of-the-art methodologies for pathogen surveillance and identification, viral characterization, and therapeutic and vaccine development. While the symposium will focus on the latest research on SARS-CoV-2, the broader goal is to highlight best practices for preparedness against future viral threats.

The Panel Discussion for this program is organized by Junjun Gao, PhD, Boehringer Ingelheim and Neil Stahl, PhD, Regeneron. 

Registration

Member
$30
Nonmember Academia, Faculty, etc.
$65
Nonmember Corporate, Other
$85
Nonmember Not for Profit
$65
Nonmember Student, Undergrad, Grad, Fellow
$45
Member Student, Post-Doc, Fellow
$15

Symposium Scientific Organizing Committee

Junjun Gao, PhD

Boehringer Ingelheim

Nancy Sullivan, PhD

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease

Neil Stahl, PhD

Regeneron

Sara Donnelly, PhD

The New York Academy of Sciences

Sonya Dougal, PhD

New York Academy of Sciences

Symposium Speakers

Ralph S. Baric, PhD
Ralph S. Baric, PhD

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Jonna Mazet, DVM, MPVM, PhD
Jonna Mazet, DVM, MPVM, PhD

University of California, Davis

Susan Weiss, PhD
Susan Weiss, PhD

University of Pennsylvania

Dennis Burton, PhD
Dennis Burton, PhD

The Scripps Research Institute

Barney Graham, MD, PhD
Barney Graham, MD, PhD

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease

Nancy Sullivan, PhD
Nancy Sullivan, PhD

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Galit Alter, PhD
Galit Alter, PhD

Harvard Medical School, The Ragon Institute

George Painter, PhD
George Painter, PhD

Emory Institute for Drug Development

Panel Discussion Scientific Organizing Committee

Junjun Gao, PhD

Boehringer Ingelheim

Neil Stahl, PhD

Regeneron

Panel Discussion Speakers

Moderator: Barney Graham, MD, PhD
Moderator: Barney Graham, MD, PhD

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Alina Baum, PhD
Alina Baum, PhD

Regeneron

Hanneke Schuitemaker, PhD
Hanneke Schuitemaker, PhD

Janssen

Ugur Şahin, MD
Ugur Şahin, MD

BioNTech

Herbert (Skip) Virgin, MD, PhD
Herbert (Skip) Virgin, MD, PhD

Vir Biotechnology

Andrew J Pollard, FRCPCH, PhD, FMedSci
Andrew J Pollard, FRCPCH, PhD, FMedSci

University of Oxford

Wednesday

September 30, 2020

10:30 AM

Introduction and Welcome Remarks

10:40 AM

Keynote: Preparing for the Next Pandemic

Speaker

Nancy Sullivan, PhD
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH

Session 1: Surveillance and Pathogen Identification

11:10 AM

Emerging Pathogens: Origins and Identification

Speaker

Jonna Mazet, DVM, PhD
University of California, Davis

From the first documented pandemic almost 2,000 year ago to our new reality in this time that will forever be marked by COVID-19, infectious diseases, caused by pathogens that have evolved in animals, have plagued humanity, resulting in huge tolls that can be measured in lives lost, economic impacts, and social instability. There are an estimated one billion cases of zoonotic diseases in people annually, and numerous other species are threatened or on the brink of collapse from a combination of anthropogenic pressures, including human-driven infectious disease transmission. Epidemics due to emerging viral diseases, in particular those caused by viruses with origins in wildlife hosts, are increasing in both frequency and severity. Spillover of these viruses from wildlife can be directly attributed to human activities. Human-induced landscape change, especially deforestation, intensification of agricultural production, and urbanization associated with human population growth, has disturbed ecological balances, altered transmission dynamics in all hosts, increased contact between people and animals, and driven virus spillover and the amplification and spread of pathogens. After a decade of employing a One Health approach to viral detection, discovery, and characterization, we can reasonably estimate that there are more than 500,000 zoonotic viruses that have the potential to spillover from evolutionary host species to vulnerable ones, including humans. We know how to approach identifying nearly all of the viral diversity in every species and can begin to rank the risks of these viruses for interspecies transmission. Understanding the disease threats and developing mitigation strategies to prevent infection and spread of viruses are key to preventing future devastating pandemics.

11:40 AM

Break

Session 2: SARS-CoV-2: Molecular Virology, Models and Host Immunity

11:50 AM

Coronaviruses: Old and New

Speaker

Susan Weiss, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

Coronaviruses: Old and New

Part I:  Introduction and history coronaviruses dating back to the 1980s and coronavirus biology. I will describe the coronavirus life cycle pointing steps that may serve as targets of antiviral therapies that may effective against most if not all coronaviruses.

Part II. Coronaviruses are highly effective in antagonizing host innate immune responses, more specifically interferon (IFN) induction and signaling pathways. MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV fail to induce IFN early in infections of humans and in mouse models while IFN production in late disease may be pathogenic. Antagonism of host responses is carried out through expression of multiple viral accessory proteins as well as conserved replicase encoded proteins, sometimes with redundant activities. Our lab focuses on the double-stranded RNA induced antiviral pathways: type I and types III IFNs, oligoadenylate synthetase-ribonuclease (OAS-RNase L) and protein kinase R (PKR). Activation of these pathways leads to inhibition of viral replication, shut down of protein synthesis and apoptotic cell death. I will discuss coronavirus antagonism of these pathways using examples from our previous studies of the betacoronaviruses murine coronavirus MHV and MERS-CoV and recent data on SARS-CoV-2. Our findings suggest that sARS-coV-2 less adept at antagonizing dsRNA induced pathways than MERS-CoV and MHV.

Learning Objectives

Coronaviruses enter cells by two pathways, at the plasma membrane fusion or through endosomes

Coronaviruses encode 16 conserved non-structural proteins in the replicase locus, potential targets for pan coronavirus antivirals

Coronaviruses are adept at antagonizing activation of dsRNA induced antiviral pathways, including interferon signaling, OAS-RNase L and PKR.

12:20 PM

Virology of SARS-CoV-2

Speaker

Ralph Baric, PhD
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
12:50 PM

Break

1:50 PM

Using Systems Serology to Define Correlates of Immunity to SARS-CoV-2

Speaker

Galit Alter, PhD
Harvard Medical School

Session 3: Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines for SARS-Cov2 and Beyond

2:20 PM

The Expedited Development of an Antiviral Agent for the Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection​

Speaker

George Painter, PhD
The Emory Institute for Drug Discovery
2:50 PM

Neutralizing Antibodies and other Therapeutic Approaches

Speaker

Dennis Burton, PhD
The Scripps Research Institute
3:20 PM

COVID-19: A Prototype Pathogen Demonstration Project for Pandemic Preparedness

Speaker

Barney Graham, MD, PhD
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH
3:50 PM

Break

Session 4: Panel Discussion

Session Chairperson
Organizers: Junjun Gao, PhD, Boehringer Ingelheim, Neil Stahl, PhD, Regeneron
4:05 PM

Perspectives on Therapeutics and Vaccines for COVID-19

Speakers

Moderator: Barney Graham, MD, PhD
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH
Alina Baum, PhD
Regeneron
Andrew J. Pollard, FRCPCH, PhD, FMedSci
University of Oxford
Ugur Şahin, MD
BioNTech
Hanneke Schuitemaker, PhD
Janssen
Herbert (Skip) Virgin, MD, PhD
Vir Biotechnology
5:20 PM

Closing Remarks

5:25 PM

Meeting Adjourn