The 1.5 ECTS NDPIA course “Emerging viral diseases – preparing for the unknown” will be provided by the Dept. of Medicine in Huddinge (Karolinska Institutet/Karolinska University Hospital) 4-6 October 2017, and participants will learn about:

– How to prepare for, work during, and investigate, an outbreak
– Ethical and practical issues regarding research and testing of treatments/vaccines
    during ongoing outbreaks
– Biosafety and biosecurity issues
– The “One Health” perspective, including the natural origin of the viruses
– Emerging viral diseases and the viruses that cause them, focusing on pathogenesis
    and how the viruses affect infected cells and the immune responses.

The course will be announced at www.ndpia.se mid-August with a registration deadline of 10 September.

Contact person with respect to the course content: Jonas Klingström (jonas.klingstrom@ki.se)

Continue reading Save the date for the upcoming NDPIA course on “Emerging viral diseases” 4-6 October →

A 1 ECTS course focusing on molecular and marine virology will be held 21-23 August in Smögen, prior to the Smögen Symposium on Virology (24-26 August). The aim of the course is to provide a broad and in-depth knowledge of different areas of virology. Senior Swedish and international researchers will give lectures spanning a wide array of fields, such as marine virology, pathogenesis, evolution, emerging viruses and new antiviral therapies. The course will also include poster sessions where participants can communicate their research, time for group discussions and networking activities.

Reduced registration fee for NDPIA members:
Single room – 2700 SEK, Shared double room – 1500 SEK

Link to additional information about the course and how to register

Extended registration deadline: 25 June, 2017

Link to information about the Smögen Symposium on Virology 2017

NDPIA is organising workshops on career planning and scientific communication with international trainers 16-17 October, 2017. The workshops will be held back-to-back with the 7^th National Infection Biology Meeting (NIB 2017) at Djurönäset outside Stockholm 17-18 October. The aim of NIB 2017 is to gather experimental researchers, physicians and epidemiologists interested in molecular and clinical microbiology, immunology and host-pathogen interactions. Invited speakers and speakers selected from submitted abstracts will present their research spanning bacterial, viral and parasitic infections, host-pathogen interactions, host defence etc.

Registered participants of NDPIA are offered free registration and accommodation for all activities 16-18 October.

Link to additional information about the events and application for NDPIA co-funding of travel costs

Registration and abstract submission deadline: 12 June, 2017

Christian Spoerry (Umeå University, Dept. of Molecular Biology) will defend his thesis entitled “Streptococcal Immunoglobulin degrading Enzymes of the IdeS and IgdE Family” 1 June 2017 at 1 p.m. Venue: Major Groove, Building 6L, Norrlands Universitetssjukhus.

Opponent: Professor Heiko Herwald, Dept. of Clinical Sciences, Division of Infection Medicine, Biomedical Center (BMC), Lund University, Sweden

​Bacteria of the genus Streptococcus are common asymptomatic colonisers of humans and animals. As opportunistic pathogens they can however, depending on their host’s immune status and other circumstances, cause mild to very severe infections. Streptococci are highly intertwined with specific host species, but can also cause zoonosis or anthroponosis in more uncommon hosts. Prolonged and reoccurring infections require immune evasion strategies to circumvent detection and eradication by the host’s immune defence. A substantial part of the immune defence against bacterial pathogens is mediated by immunoglobulins. This thesis is based on work to identify and characterise immunoglobulin degrading enzymes secreted by different Streptococcus species as a means to sabotage and evade antibody-mediated immune responses.

Continue reading Thesis defence by Christian Spoerry (UmU) on “Streptococcal Immunoglobulin degrading Enzymes”, 1 June 2017 →