Chair - GlaxoSmithKline Partnered (2012-2013)

Infectious diseases are the most common cause of death in children worldwide, and also contribute to death, disability and decreased quality of life in people of all ages. The advent of routine vaccine programs has been hailed as one of the most important interventions, other than clean water, in public health. This research program will take place at the Canadian Center for Vaccinology (CCfV), in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which is a collaboration of Dalhousie University, the IWK Health Centre, and Capital Health. This integrated, interdisciplinary research program brings together investigators from diverse disciplines (basic biomedical, clinical, and social sciences and the humanities) to focus on vaccine discovery, evaluation, and implementation through knowledge translation. The funding from the Chair will allow the applicant to focus on immunization strategies that protect children, from the fetal period through to adulthood. In particular, development and improvement of vaccines, vaccine presentation (how the vaccine is given to the recipient), and vaccine programs that prevent influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and other clinically significant respiratory pathogens in both healthy and high-risk children, their families and communities will be the target of the applicant and the CCfV team.