The multidisciplinary hybrid meeting drew 53 colleagues from 12 countries, including pharmacists, forensic geneticists and chemists, modellers, sociologists, data scientists, informaticians, microbiologists, criminologists, public engagement specialists and food safety scientists, with national and international organization representatives. They met for vibrant discussions and planning for FORESFA. Those present in person went for after lunch walks, including to the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology blue plaque commemorating where penicillin was first brewed up to administer to patients (pictured).
On 6-8 July, the indefatigable MQRG held another, overlapping, multidisciplinary hybrid meeting, also at Keble, to discuss the Vaccine Identity Evaluation (VIE) project, which is evaluating devices for screening for substandard and falsified (SF) vaccines in supply chains. The VIE team, of the CTMGH, Department of Biochemistry and Department of Chemistry, Oxford and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), were joined by 60 colleagues from 11 countries including vaccine and device manufacturers, medicines regulators, virologists, chemists, physicists, forensic scientists, data scientists, police and investigators, sociologists and translational research experts. Pilot data were discussed and much progress made on future collaborative plans with a vision to bring about a step change in our ability to detect SF vaccines. The diverse devices were demonstrated at RAL and in Biochemistry and Chemistry.
- Paul Newton.