University of Guelph biomedical sciences professor Dr. Glen Pyle has helped organize an online event that will enable parents, teachers and students to ask a globally recognized viral immunologist questions about COVID-19 vaccination in children.

The free event hosted by COVID-19 Resources Canada and co-hosted by Royal City Science and Science Up First will see Australian Nobel laureate and University of Melbourne immunology professor Peter Doherty answering questions during an online vaccination Q&A Zoom session on Tuesday Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. ET.

Pyle, who volunteers with COVID-19 Resources Canada, is the Ontario co-lead and co-founder of its #ScienceExplained initiative, which brings together experts from multiple disciplines to provide info and dispel myths about COVID-19 and vaccination.

“We hope this interactive session provides students and parents with the information they need to make informed choices about COVID-19 vaccines and gives educators the tools they might need to answer questions in the classroom,” said Pyle.

Doherty shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1996 with Swiss colleague Rolf Zinkernagel for their discovery of how the immune system recognizes virus-infected cells.

“This is a unique opportunity to ask a Nobel laureate with expertise in immunology about COVID-19 and vaccines,” said Pyle.

“Prof. Doherty has a distinguished career in immunology and much of that has been spent at one of the world’s premier children’s hospitals, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He has a deep commitment to children’s health and more recently has used Twitter to help educate people on a range of scientific topics as well as tackle misinformation. The opportunity to use his scientific expertise to advance children’s health is perfect for this Q&A session.”

Those planning to attend can submit questions to Info@covid19resources.ca and register online.