The latest scientific information on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and vaccine development will be the focus of a webinar hosted by the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) and One Health Institute that will feature leading immunologists and infectious disease experts.
The “Biology and Control of SARS-CoV-2” webinar will be held on Monday, Nov. 9 from 1 to 3 p.m. on Teams.
Questions that the expert panel will seek to answer during the webinar include:
- What do we know about the animal origins of SARS-CoV-2? What events might have led to the emergence of this virus?
- What are the mechanisms the virus uses to cause disease?
- Why does SARS-CoV-2 cause more severe COVID-19 in some groups than in others?
- Has the knowledge gained from other severe acute respiratory syndrome viruses been used in strategies to prevent and treat COVID-19?
- What are the main types of vaccines currently being developed?
- What is the vaccine approval process and when should we realistically expect vaccines to be available to the public?
The webinar will be moderated by viral immunologist Prof. Shayan Sharif, Department of Pathobiology, who is associate dean of research and graduate studies for OVC.
SARS-CoV-2 researchers also taking part are the following:
- Prof. Sarah Wootton, Pathobiology, OVC
- Prof. Byram Bridle, Pathobiology, OVC
- Prof. Matthew Miller, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University
- Dr. Samira Mubareka, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Sunnybrook Research Institute; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Toronto.
The event is open to the public and will be held live on Teams at this link.