Internal launch of the Imperial Network for Vaccine Research

Dr Chris Chiu addresses the INVaR community

The internal launch of the Imperial Network for Vaccine Research (INVaR) took place on 25 April.

Set up to tackle the most difficult questions facing the development and delivery of effective vaccines, INVaR sees collaboration across many disciplines. It aims to better understand how protection can be induced and how vaccination can be delivered to people across the world.

“The Imperial Network for Vaccine Research brings together world-leading experts from all four of Imperial’s faculties to take on some of the most important challenges in vaccines research.” Professor Nick Jennings Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise)

The internal launch brought around 60 researchers to the Imperial Enterprise Lab, with an emphasis on networking and building the cross-College community of those with interests in vaccines. Led by the Department of Medicine’s Dr Chris Chiu, INVaR not only brings together leading experts, but will also encourage early career researchers to directly contribute to the network’s activities.

Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise), who opened the event, said: “Although vaccines are one of the great success stories of modern medicine, numerous infections still cannot be prevented and major hurdles still exist to developing effective vaccines against them.

“The Imperial Network for Vaccine Research brings together world-leading experts from all four of Imperial’s faculties to take on some of the most important challenges in vaccines research.”

"A clear motivation to collaborate"

While Professor Jennings and Dr Chiu set out INVaR’s aims and strategic direction, attendees also learned about a new initiative key to the network: the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub. Professor Robin Shattock, who leads the Hub, explained how it would exploit the latest advances in biotechnology to rapidly respond to emerging outbreaks, whilst empowering countries most at risk of infection to meet their local vaccine needs.

Following the launch event Dr Chris Chiu said: “I was extremely pleased to see the clear motivation to collaborate between investigators present at the INVaR launch meeting in order to build on our existing and substantial strengths.

“I would like to thank all those who participated and would encourage all other Imperial investigators who have not joined to register your interest via vaccine.network@imperial.ac.uk.”

INVaR will be hosting another event this autumn to help the network engage with external stakeholders – network members will be notified once details have been confirmed.