CEPI was established with the vision of a world in which epidemics are no longer a threat to humanity.
Dr Mike Whelan talks how and why CEPI was established, the partnerships involved and how CEPI will achieve its objective to develop vaccines for emerging pathogens with the potential to cause epidemics. CEPI’s initial priority pathogens include MERS, Lassa, NIPAH, Chikungunya and Rift Valley fever.
Mike is a Biochemist and Immunologist, graduating from The Royal London Hospital in 1993. He carried out post-doctoral research at the Institute for Animal Health and the Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research.
In 1999, Mike joined Onyvax Ltd., based in St. George’s Hospital, as Head of Immunology. The company was developing allogeneic whole cell vaccines for prostate cancer, carrying out both Phase I and II clinical trials. Mike became Head of Research in 2003. He then joined iQur in 2006 and became Director of R&D, working on the development of a novel virus like particle vaccine delivery system. He held several vaccine development research grants working on universal influenza, malaria, hepatitis and Burkholderia.
Mike joined CEPI in December 2017 and is a Programme Manager currently working on a wide portfolio of neglected disease vaccines including Lassa, Nipah and MERS. His portfolio also includes the development of novel technologies which could be applied to Pathogen X. Mike is an Honorary Lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College.
Read more about the Academy’s work to stop superbugs through international collaboration:
https://acmedsci.ac.uk/policy/policy-projects/antimicrobial-resistance
This talk was given as part of the Hamied Foundation UK-India Antimicrobial Resistance Meetings. Find out more about the meetings:
https://acmedsci.ac.uk/policy/policy-projects/HF-UK-India-AMR-meetings
The Academy is strengthening research links between the UK and India through Hamied Foundation UK-India AMR Visiting Professorships. Find out more:
https://acmedsci.ac.uk/grants-and-schemes/grant-schemes/amr-professorships
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