All posts by Louise Lindbäck

NDPIA, News, Past courses and activities

Summary of the Vaccine Development course – 2025

22–24 October 2025 | Aronsborg Konferenshotell, Bålsta, Sweden

The 2025 Vaccine Development course brought together doctoral students and early-career researchers from across Sweden for three intensive days of learning and exchange. Held at Aronsborg Konferenshotell in Bålsta, this was the first course jointly organized by NDPIA and its sister school NDP-VIP, marking a successful collaboration that attracted participants from SLU, Karolinska Institutet, Lund University, Umeå University, the University of Gothenburg, and Uppsala University.

Group photo of the participants attending the Vaccine Development course in October 2025. Photo by staff at Aronsborg Konferenshotell.

The course program spanned the full spectrum of modern vaccinology from the fundamentals of immune protection and classical vaccine platforms to next-generation technologies, GMP manufacturing, and regulatory pathways for vaccine approval. Participants also explored the scientific and practical challenges of developing vaccines against viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections, as well as specific topics such as travel and oral vaccines, cancer immunization, and determinants of vaccine effectiveness.

Lecture on “Challenges in vaccine development against parasitic diseases” given by Simon Draper, University of Oxford, UK. Photo by Louise Lindbäck.

Lecture on “Determinants of vaccine effectiveness: vaccine mechanisms, host factors and the epidemiological impact of herd immunity” given by Margaret Liu, University of California San Francisco, USA. Photo by Louise Lindbäck.

Beyond the lectures delivered by leading Swedish and international experts, the course emphasized interaction and collaboration. Poster sessions provided a platform for students to present their research, while informal networking and discussion sessions fostered scientific exchange and community building across disciplines and institutions.

Students presented their research through engaging poster walks, fostering discussions and peer learning. Photo by Louise Lindbäck.

The Vaccine Development course not only deepened participants’ understanding of the science and strategy behind vaccine innovation but also strengthened the national research network dedicated to advancing immunology and infectious disease research.

To view the full course program, please visit: Vaccine Development 2025 | NDPIA

Special thanks to the organizing committee:
Ali Mirazimi, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
Annasara Lenman, NDPIA and NDP-VIP Director, Umeå University, Sweden
Louise Lindbäck, NDPIA and NDP-VIP Project Coordinator, Umeå University, Sweden

NDPIA, Past network meetings

Summary of the 11th National Infection Biology (NIB) Meeting 2025

The 11th National Infection Biology (NIB) meeting 2025 was held between 20-21 October at Aronsborg Konferenshotell in Bålsta. This meeting brought together over 120 researchers from across Sweden to explore cutting-edge developments in infection biology. The program featured a dynamic mix of presentations from leading scientists in Sweden and abroad, as well as young researchers, fostering inspiring discussions and valuable networking opportunities.

Group photo of the participants at the 11th National Infection Biology (NIB) Meeting 2025, held at Aronsborg Konferenshotell in Bålsta. Photo: staff at Aronsborg.

Participants represented all major Swedish universities, from Umeå University in the north to Lund University in the south. The aim of the meeting was to promote cross-disciplinary research and to strengthen the national network of scientists working within infection biology and microbiology.

The scientific program showcased research across a wide range of sub-disciplines, including:

  • Bacteriology
  • Virology
  • Eukaryotic Microbiology
  • Host-microbe interactions
  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Data Driven Life Science

In addition to the talks, poster walks provided a platform for participants to present and receive feedback on their own research projects in an informal and engaging setting.

Award winners for Best Short Talk or Poster Presentation at NIB 2025! Congratulations to our top presenters, Miren Urrutia Iturritza (Stockholm University), Elin Svedholm (Uppsala University), and Nuno Rufino De Sousa (Karolinska Institutet)! Photo: Ingrid Söderbergh.

Thank You to All Participants, Co-organizers, and Sponsors!

This meeting was co-organized by:

We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funding sources and sponsors:

NDPIA, News

Join us for a course in Vaccine Development in connection to the NIB 2025 meeting!

Illustrator: Instagram @Ina.Schuppe.Koistinen

Welcome to the 11th National Infection Biology Meeting!

NIB 2025 is taking place at Aronsborg Konferenshotell in Bålsta, Sweden, on October 20-21, 2025.

The biannual NIB Meeting aims to bring together the community of infection biology researchers in Sweden, with a focus on networking and young researchers. Don’t miss the opportunity to present yourself and your research at this meeting!

Read more and register here: NIB 2025

Join us for a course in Vaccine Development

The Vaccine Development course is being held at Aronsborg Konferenshotell on October 22-24, right after the NIB Meeting.

As a joint course between NDP-VIP and its sister school NDPIA, this course explores the critical field of vaccine development, from basic research to clinical trials and regulatory approval.

Read more and register here: Vaccine Development 2025

NDPIA, Past courses and activities

Fundamentals of Basic and Applied Phage Biology – 2025 

From 12–16 May 2025, NDPIA hosted the second edition of the Fundamentals of Basic and Applied Phage Biology course at Lund University. The event brought together early-career researchers from across Sweden and abroad to explore the fascinating world of bacteriophages and their growing importance in science and medicine. 

Group photo of the participants and organizers of Fundamentals of basic and applied phage biology in 2025. Photo by Vasili Hauryliuk.

“I felt the lecturers were all extremely high quality, engaged, and given by top professionals in their field.”
-Anonymous participant 

Led by Vasili Hauryliuk and Marcus Johansson at Lund University, the course featured lectures and discussions with both national and international experts in phage biology. Topics ranged from the ecological roles of phages in natural environments to their application in combating bacterial infections.  

Lecture on “Exploiting phage for SynBio applications in non-model bacteria”, given by Rob Lavigne, University of Leuven, Belgium. Photo by Vasili Hauryliuk.

Lecture on “Bacteriophages – from the fundamentals of molecular biology to the BASEL collection”, given by Alexander Harms, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Switzerland, Photo by Vasili Hauryliuk.

The theoretical sessions were complemented by hands-on training, equipping participants with practical skills to integrate phage techniques into their own research. The lab component included phage isolation from environmental samples, phage titre determination, infectivity and immunity assays, and the selection of spontaneous mutant phages. 

One of the locations in Lund where environmental samples were collected for isolation of phages. Photo by Vasili Hauryliuk.

In addition to the scientific program, participants presented their own research through elevator pitches, encouraging peer-to-peer learning and constructive feedback.

“The strength of this course was the wide range of topics covered—from experimental training and basic knowledge to bioinformatics, diverse research fields, and even industry perspectives.”
-Anonymous participant 

A big thank you to Vasili and Marcus for their incredible work in organizing the course and making it such a success! Their passion for phage biology and commitment to teaching were key to the course’s outstanding quality. Photo by Olena Shyrokova.

To view the full course program, please visit: Fundamentals of Basic and Applied Phage Biology 2025 | NDPIA 

Special thanks to the organizing committee:
Vasili Hauryliuk, Lund University, Sweden
Marcus Johansson, Lund University, Sweden
Annasara Lenman, NDPIA National Director, Umeå University, Sweden
Louise Lindbäck, NDPIA Project Coordinator, Umeå University, Sweden

NDPIA, News

Course Tip for Students: International Vaccinology Course – September 2025

Karolinska Institutet, in collaboration with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), invites PhD students and researchers to participate in the International Vaccinology Course, taking place 8–12 September 2025 at ANA Futura, Campus Huddinge.

This globally connected course—broadcast simultaneously from Seoul, Kigali, and Stockholm—offers a unique opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of vaccine development. Through lectures by renowned international experts, interactive quizzes, and case studies, participants will explore how vaccines are developed, tested, regulated, and approved.

Who can apply? PhD students and researchers with a PhD.
Application deadline: June 30, 2025.
Apply here:  Vaccine to Vaccination: from Science to Society

For more information, visit the official course website or contact Laura Palma Medina at Karolinska Institutet.