• Start date:
  • 8 July 2019
  • Duration:
  • 5 days
  • Intended Audience:
  • PhD, Student

Our immune system provides defense against microbial pathogens. In contrast, some pathogens exploit our immune system and modulate or evade immune responses that would otherwise eradicate them. This relationship has evolved during our evolutionary life span and for the larger part of mankind. However, not all microbes are pathogenic. Some commensal microbes have an important role in programming and educating our immune system on what is harmful or harmless.

In the past, infectious diseases were the biggest threat and the main cause of death, but in our modern society, infectious diseases are not as deadly anymore, due to vaccines programs, antimicrobial treatments and improved surveillance. Still, novel infectious agents increasingly appear in the human and animal population. 

The need for innovative solutions is as urgent as ever, especially since the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. Additionally, we are now facing a different epidemic in the form of hyperinflammatory disorders, such as auto-immunity, allergies, asthma, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and obesities. The question remains whether we can exploit pathogen / microbe induced mechanisms of immunomodulation to combat these disorders.

Summer school 2019
The 5-day Summer School will focus on immunotherapy, vaccinology, microbiota interventions and drug development as intervention for infectious and hyperinflammatory diseases in humans and animals. The overall aim of the course is to give participants an understanding of immunomodulatory mechanisms induced by pathogens and commensals and how to exploit this for the development of interventions, like immunotherapy, host-directed personalized therapies and novel vaccines.

Main themes and objectives

  • Introduction to current standards in (emerging) infectious disease control
  • The molecular mechanisms of immune modulation by infectious agents
  • Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi and new approaches for treatment of drug resistant microorganisms
  • The role of microbiome in health and disease, both animal and human
  • Novel host-directed and personalised therapies for infectious and immune diseases
  • Controlled human and (large) animal infection models (combined with entrepreneurship)
  • Infectious disease vaccine design and preclinical validation
  • Develop a research proposal in small tutor-guided sessions on a topic related the themes of the Summer School

How to attend the Summer School?
This Summer School is suitable for (bio)medical Master students, PhD students, as well as early stage post-doctoral scientists who are interested in increasing their knowledge on human and animal infectious diseases, immunotherapy for inflammatory diseases, microbiota interventions and host-directed therapies against infectious diseases, clinical trials, and the industrial production of vaccines and antimicrobial therapies. Applicants are required to provide a CV, some background to the research they are engaged in, a motivation letter and letter of recommendation from their current supervisor.

Organisers
The LUMC Center of Infectious Diseases is collaborating with Edinburgh Infectious Diseases in the design and execution of the Summer School. We will combine elements on immune modulation, host-directed therapies, antimicrobial resistance, biodiversity and One Health, and vaccine development that utilize the strengths of both Leiden and Edinburgh. The course will also feature speakers from the Leiden Bioscience Park (e.g. the vaccine company Johnson & Johnson), as well as from the NCOH initiative on One Health, and a variety of other companies and institutes.

Programme Summer school 
8-12 July 2019 

Monday 8 July 2019 

08:00 Arrival & Registration 
09:00 General introduction to the course 
  Introduction to infections: the good and the bad 
09:15 Introduction to emerging infectious diseases
Erik Snijder, LUMC 
10:15 Introduction to Biodiversity & Immune priming 
Maria Yazdanbakhsh, LUMC 
11:15 Break 
11:30 Introduction to One Health 
Marion Koopmans, ErasmusMC 
12:30 Lunch 
13:30 Dynamics of infectious diseases
Colin Russel, Amsterdam UMC 
14:30 Introduction to tutor-guided sessions: Welcome tutors and topics 
15:30 Break
15:45 Student self presentations
17:30 Poster walks and drinks
18:30 End of day 1 

Tuesday 9 July 2019 

 

08:30 Coffee 
09:00 General remarks 
  Molecular mechanisms of immune modulation by infectious agents 
09:15 Innate immune responses to viruses
Marjolein Kikkert, LUMC 
10:15 Molecular principles of immune modulation by helminths 
Henry McSorley, Edinburgh, UK 
11:15 Break 
11:30 Glycan host interactions: sweet spot in the immune system
Ron Hokke, LUMC 
12:30 Lunch 
13:30 Tutor-guided sessions
15:30 Break 
15:45 Self study on tutor-guided topics 
18:30 Pubquiz and dinner buffet 
20:30 End of day 2 

 Wednesday 10 July 2019 

08:30 Coffee
09:00 General remarks 
  Microbiome and antimicrobial resistance
09:15 Fecal transplants for infectious and immune diseases
Ed Kuijpers, LUMC
10:15 The dynamics of the children's microbiome
Susana Fuentes, RIVM
11:15 Break 
11:30 Transmission of MRSA between humans and animals 
Engeline van Duijkeren, RIVM 
12:30 Lunch 
13:30 Host-directed therapies and check point modulation in infectious disease
Adriano Rossi, University of Edinburgh 
14:30 Self study on tutor-guided topics 
15:30 Break 
15:45 Self study on tutor-guided topics 
18:30  Social debate and Pizza's 
20:30 End of day 3 

Thursday 11 July 2019 

08:30 Coffee
09:00 General remarks 
  Controlled human and large animal infections
09:15 follows
10:15 Primate Immune models
Frank Verreck, Primate Center Rijswijk 
11:15 Break 
11:30 Farm Animal Disease Programs
Ynte Schukken, Wageningen & GD Animal Health 
12:30 Lunch 
13:30 Blueprints for healthy animals: study the function of genes and improve animal health
Christine Tait-Burkard, Edinburgh 
14:30 Distinguished Eurolife Lecture
Christian Giske, Karolinska, Stockholm 
15:30 Break 
15:45 Self-study on tutor-guided topics 
18:30 Prepare presentations on tutor-guided topics
20:30 End of day 4

Friday 12 July 2019 

08:30 Coffee
09:00 General remarks 
  Vaccine Design and preclinical validation 
09:15 Vaccine Delivery 
Gideon Kersten, LUMC & IntraVac
10:15 SITE VISIT (J&J): Adenovirus platform
Roland Zahn 
11:15 Break 
11:30 SITE VISIT (J&J): Zika virus vaccine development 
Ramon Roozendaal
12:30 Lunch
13:30 Student-presentations on tutor-guided sessions
15:30 Break 
15:45 Certification/evaluation 
17:00 End of day 5
Prof E. van Duijkeren
Microbiology, RIVM
dr S. Fuentes Enriquez De Salamanca
Prof C. Giske
Microbiology, Karolinska Institut
C.H. Hokke
G.F.A. Kersten
Vaccinology, Intravacc
Dr. ir. M. Kikkert
Virologie, LUMC
Prof. dr. M.P.G. Koopmans
prof.dr. E.J. Kuijper
LUMC, arts-microbioloog
dr H.M. McSorley
Immunology, Edinburgh UK
P.H. Nibbering
Prof. dr. M. Roestenberg
dr R. Roozendaal
Janssen Pharmaceutics
Prof A. Rossi
Immunology, Edinburgh UK
Prof C. Russel
Evolutionary biology, Amsterdam UMC
Prof Y. Schukken
Wageningen & GD Animal Health
prof. H.H. Smits
Prof. dr. E.J. Snijder
Hoofd sectie Researc, afdeling Medische Microbiologie, LUMC
dr C. Tait-Burkard
Immunology, Edinburgh UK
dr F. Verreck
Primate Center Rijswijk
Prof. Dr. L.G. Visser
prof.dr. M. Yazdanbakhsh
dr R. Zahn
Janssen Pharmaceutics
LUMC
Rijnsburgerweg 10, 2333 AA Leiden

To Apply

Applicants should submit a CV, some background to the research they are engaged in, a motivation letter and letter of recommendation from their current supervisor.
Applications should be sent to Boerhaavenascholing@lumc.nl. Closing date for applications is 15 June 2019

Registration fee is € 200,-. The number of participants in the course will not exceed 30