Experts will present new science to tackle diarrheal disease in small children
[February 15, 2018; Philadelphia, PA] – Diarrheal diseases are responsible for ten percent of all mortality in children under age five worldwide. Even milder forms of intestinal infection have a long lasting impact on the nutritional state, disease susceptibility, and growth of children. These relationships are complex and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.
Significant advances have been made in protecting children from some of these infections through vaccination. Targeting emerging challenges, such as the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium, is at the forefront of this effort. The Intestinal Infection and Immunity Symposium will explore how recent scientific advances in microbiology, immunology, and medicine can be used to understand and ultimately solve this important global problem.
The symposium will be held on Monday, March 12, 2018, from 8:00am-1:30pm at Penn Vet’s Hill Pavilion (380 S. University Ave., Philadelphia). For additional information and agenda topics, visit the website here. Admission to the symposium is FREE, but registration is required.
Speakers include:
- Yasmine Belkaid, Chief, Mucosal Immunology Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Health
- Carol Gilchrist, Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine
- Paul Offit, Maurice R. Hilleman Chair of Vaccinology, Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Bill Petri, Wade Hampton Frost Professor of Medicine; Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Virginia School of Medicine
- Eline Luning Prak, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- Boris Striepen, Professor, Department of Pathobiology, Penn Vet
- Christoph Thaiss, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- John Wherry, Richard and Barbara Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor of Microbiology; Director, Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
The symposium is jointly sponsored by Penn Vet’s Department of Pathobiology and Center for Host-Microbial Interactions, and the Perelman School of Medicine’s Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Center for Global Health, and Institute for Immunology.
This event is part of the University of Pennsylvania’s ongoing efforts in support of the One Health Initiative, which is dedicated to improving the lives of all species through the integration of human medicine, veterinary medicine, and environmental science.
About Penn Med
Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $6.7 billion enterprise.
The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $392 million awarded in the 2016 fiscal year.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2016, Penn Medicine provided $393 million to benefit our community.