IDCRC Newsletter: August 2023

IDCRC Leader Profile: Walter Orenstein, MD

IDCRC Congratulates Incoming NIAID Director
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo

"Dr. Marrazzo has been a core part of our leadership team since the inception of the IDCRC. Her vision, dedication and creativity were instrumental to our success in establishing and operationalizing this network in the midst of a global pandemic. While we will miss her contributions greatly, Dr. Marrazzo is an ideal choice to lead NIAID and we look forward to working with her in this new role," says Kathy Neuzil, MD, IDCRC PI and Leadership Group co-chair. 

Events

Global Vaccine and Immunization Research Forum (GVIRF) Webinar: Vaccine Adjuvants for Global Health 

You're invited to the GVIRF Webinar: Vaccine Adjuvants for Global Health, taking place on Wednesday, Sept. 13. 2023 from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EDT. This webinar will discuss issues related to global demand for vaccine adjuvants and the associated research and development, as well as facilitating global access to novel adjuvants and formulation technologies for vaccine developers.

An effective preventive vaccine is necessary for global HCV elimination. To accelerate vaccine development, the concept of a controlled human infection model (CHIM) for HCV has been proposed. In this Symposium, topics ranging from the source of viral inoculum and the safety of transient HCV infection to the perspective of potential volunteers and the ethics of CHIM. We also propose a framework for the feasibility of developing well-designed clinical protocols for HCV CHIM.

Training Opportunity

Apply for the Advanced Course of Vaccinology Program C

Advanced Course of Vaccinology (ADVAC) is an annual two-week training program for decision-makers, including academia, industry, governmental and non-governmental agencies. The course aims to facilitate critical decision-making in vaccinology by providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the various aspects of vaccinology. 

This advanced course is for scientists and decision-makers involved in vaccine development, in the elaboration of new vaccination strategies, or in policy decisions related to the introduction of new vaccines in public health programs, at national or international levels. It is relevant for both the public and private sectors.

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Use rational criteria for decisions related to evidence-based introduction of new vaccines into immunization programs.
• Identify requirements for vaccination strategies to be used in special conditions: eradication strategies, vaccination of neonates, elderly, immunocompromised, and HIV-infected persons.
• Deal with issues regarding vaccine trials (including site selection, recruitment aspects, monitoring, evaluation, and ethical considerations).
• Identify recent developments towards new or improved vaccines and new vaccination strategies.
• Appraise all aspects of vaccines and vaccination safety, including vaccine delivery and reporting of adverse events following immunization.
• Initiate appropriate actions in crises associated with real or alleged vaccine adverse events.
• Recognize the role of communication in vaccine programs and policy.
• Determine any necessary important change to their practice of vaccinology.

VTEU Highlight 

Kaiser Permanente
Washington Health Research Institute 

Highlights from the most recent grant year were presented by all VTEUs at our 2023 Annual Meeting. This month we are featuring Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute. Note, these were created by the IDCRC Leadership Operations Center and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. 

Publications

NOTE: Please include the following citation in any publications resulting from direct or indirect IDCRC support: 

"Supported by the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium through the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, under award number UM1AI148684. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health."

View recent publications below:

• Viral Resistance Analyses From the Remdesivir Phase 3 Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial-1 (ACTT-1)
• Immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 heterologous boost against SARS-CoV-2 variants. NPJ Vaccines
• Evaluation of mRNA-1273 Covid-19 Vaccine in Children 6 to 11 Years of Age
• Durability of Protection Against Symptomatic COVID-19 Among Participants of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Trial
• COVID-19 booster vaccination during pregnancy enhances maternal binding and neutralizing antibody responses and transplacental antibody transfer to the newborn

News

COVID-19 vaccination and boosting during pregnancy benefits pregnant people and newborns

Researchers also suspected that, as with other vaccines, the antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccination might transfer to fetuses across the placenta, which would provide newborns with some additional protection against COVID-19 in their first months of life. Among other metrics, the study tracked the COVID-19 antibody levels of pregnant people who received either of the two COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the antibodies in their cord blood when they gave birth.

Researchers at the NIAID-funded Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (IDCRC) followed more than 500 pregnant volunteers and their newborns, at nine study sites. Results from 240 participants are reported in this paper, including 167 pregnant participants who received the two-dose primary series of either of the two mRNA vaccines during pregnancy, and 73 who received a booster dose; at the time, only one booster dose was recommended. Researchers examined blood samples taken before and after participants were vaccinated or boosted, and at time of delivery. The researchers also analyzed participants’ cord blood at the time of birth.

COVID vaccines and boosters shown to protect pregnant women and newborns: ‘Transferred protection’

Getting a COVID vaccine or booster while pregnant can benefit both the mother and the baby, according to a new study published in the journal Vaccine. Researchers from the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (IDCRC) analyzed data from the Multisite Observational Maternal and Infant Study for COVID-19 (MOMI-VAX), which began in June 2021.

The MOMI-VAX study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health."Our study supports that COVID-19 vaccination, and particularly booster doses, should be strongly recommended during pregnancy for maternal and neonatal protection," the study authors wrote in the journal article.

The study tracked the levels of COVID antibodies in pregnant women who had received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Training

Mentee Profile: Zacharoula Oikonomopoulou
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Saint Louis Univeristy

Dr. Oikonomopoulou's research interest focuses on infections in immunocompromised hosts, in particular fungal infections, and vaccine immunogenicity in immunocompromised children. 

Job Postings

Job Openings: University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore Center for Vaccine Development,
Applied Immunology Section.

The Applied Immunology Section conducts immunological analyses to support clinical studies and interrogates immune mechanisms in the context of infection and vaccination. New technology is applied to produce data of the highest quality. This group has broad and diverse expertise and includes students in training, post-doctoral fellows, and specialized staff. 

The following positions are open. Click here to learn more and apply!

• Laboratory Research Assistant
• Laboratory Research Specialist
• Lead Laboratory Research Specialist

 Infectious Diseases Research Job Openings

• Faculty Position Attending Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

• University of Pennsylvania: Perelman School of Medicine - Assistant Professor, AC Track, Infectious Diseases

• Houston Methodist Hospital (HMH) - Infectious Disease Fellowship Program

• Baylor College of Medicine ​​​​​​- Assistant Professor at the Vaccine Research Center 

• UT Southwestern Medical Center - Senior Research Associate, Infectious Diseases

• Cedars Sinai, Postdoctoral Fellow -Infectious and Immunological Diseases Research Center (IIDRC) Arditi Lab

• Joint ID/EIS Fellowship

• Southern Research Available Positions in Birmingham, AL

Visit the IDSA Career Center to browse over 200 ID/HIV Medicine job postings.

Funding Opportunities

NIH Funding Opportunities Specific to COVID-19
This page contains a listing of active and expired funding opportunities.   

Pulmonary Outcomes and Sequelae after Treatment-TB (POST-TB) (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) – Due September 7, 2023; January 7, 2024; May 7, 2024; 2025 (Full application)
The purpose of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to support applications for epidemiological and observational research projects on the long-term cardiopulmonary sequelae following treatment for tuberculosis (TB). Investigators should propose additional testing and data collection in existing cohorts of adult and/or pediatric TB participants to better characterize and understand adverse outcomes and morbidity associated with TB disease post treatment in individuals with and without HIV infection.  

NIAID Resource-Related Research Projects (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) –
Due 30 days prior (LOI); September 25, 2023; 2024; 2025 (Full application)
The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to propose resources that provide significant benefit to currently funded high priority projects in need of further coordination and support in the areas specified. Under rare circumstances, this mechanism may be used to support development of a new resource to the broader scientific community of the NIAID.

Development of Software for Data Science in Infectious and Immune-Mediated Diseases Research (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) – Due 30 days prior (LOI); 10/11/2023  (Full app)
The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) is to solicit applications for the development of software to improve the acquisition, management, analysis, visualization, and dissemination of data and knowledge for data science research on infectious and immune-mediated diseases (IID). Relevant IID data science research comprises, but is not limited to, computational methods to better understand disease mechanism, risk prediction, epidemiology, detection and diagnosis, treatment, and vaccines, aligned with the research mission of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

NIAID New Innovators Awards (DP2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) –
Due 30 days prior (LOI); Friday, October 13, 2023; October 11, 2024; October 10, 2025
The purpose of this FOA is to support early career faculty who propose novel, original and insightful research concepts with the potential to produce a major impact, test scientific paradigms, or advance key concepts on broad, important problems in biomedical research of priority to NIAID.

National Science Foundation (NSF): Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) – Due Thursday, November 16; Third Wednesday in November, Annually Thereafter
The purpose of this FOA is the discovery of principles of infectious disease (re)emergence and transmission and testing of mathematical or computational models that elucidate infectious disease systems.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Halting Tuberculosis (TB) Transmission – Due January 07, 2026
The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to highlight NIAID’s interest in accepting applications that aim to understand the critical drivers of Tuberculosis (TB) transmission at the individual and population levels in high-burden settings. Applicants are encouraged to develop effective methods to measure rates of TB transmission that rely on an increased understanding of the biomedical basis of transmission and related risk factors and to develop and assess potential interventions, including low-cost and low-tech options, to prevent TB transmission.

Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Complement in Fundamental Immunology – Due January 08, 2026
The main objective of this program is to support studies that accelerate our understanding of the roles of complement components and/or receptors in the initiation, magnitude, maintenance, and quality of immune responses involved in pathogenic infections, vaccination, post-infection sequelae, autoimmunity, allergy, or transplantation. The results of such studies will inform the development of vaccines or therapeutics that target complement components. The work to be encouraged includes studies of the roles of complement components (molecules and/or receptors) during immune responses.

Advancing Research Needed to Develop a Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) Vaccine –Due January 15, 2026
The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to highlight NIAID’s interest in supporting research in the areas outlined in the  NIAID Strategic Plan For Research To Develop A Valley Fever Vaccine. The proposed research should have clear relevance to the strategic priorities defined in the strategic plan, which encompasses three major research areas: 1) address gaps in Coccidioides basic research to support the development of a vaccine; 2) develop tools and resources to support vaccine development; 3) develop and advance vaccines to prevent coccidioidomycosis.

IDCRC Studies

IDCRC Concept Quick Stats

Communication Resources

Please submit IDCRC news to epthomp@emory.edu for inclusion in the monthly newsletter and IDCRC.org.