CIDRZ recently hosted a high-level research meeting bringing together local and international scientists to discuss ongoing projects, knowledge exchange, and future collaborations in global health. The event focused on advancing vaccine research and fostering partnerships to improve public health outcomes.

Among the presenters was Dr Jessica Crothers, Associate Professor in Medical Microbiology at the Vermont College of Medicine (USA), who shared her team’s work on next-generation polio vaccines. The research involves using a novel ingredient, called double mutant heat-labile toxin (dmLT), designed to lower the amount of virus released by infected people and prevent it from spreading. She hopes to develop a safer polio vaccine using dmLT, offering a safer alternative to oral polio vaccines.

Dr Sarah Caddy, a Viral Immunologist at Cornell University, also presented her work, which focused on transferring rotavirus antibody assays to CIDRZ, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Cornell Global Hubs. Her visit focused on using stored samples from past rotavirus vaccine studies and building long-term research collaboration between Cornell and CIDRZ.

The meeting was attended by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) visiting delegation, Acting CEO Dr Carolyne Bolton, Chief Scientific Officer Dr Monde Muyoyeta, CIDRZ researchers Dr Natasha Laban, Dr Chikumbutso Chipeta, Mr Michelo Simuyandi, and several other researchers from the institution.