07 Mar Advancements to Monitor, Combat and Prevent Pathogen Outbreaks

Whether it is your normal microbiota or a headline grabbing pathogen –
We will cover them at PMWC 2017 Duke
CME credit available
In recent years, we seem to face a major epidemic viral outbreak each year, whether it is Zika, Ebola, or the Corona virus MERS-CoV. The ever-increasing human population, global travel on a scale never seen before, and a closer proximity of humans to wild life habitats are all vital contributors to this observed trend, the impact of which is increasing exponentially.

This is alarming, and today groundbreaking activities are under way aimed at combating these outbreaks:

• New emerging technologies
  • Rapid pathogen identification
  • Increased availability of accurate infectious disease monitoring
• Early detection is critical!
• Higher numbers of pathogens and their populations are sequenced which allows the creation of better vaccines.
  • Vaccines against a family of pathogens and their core proteins!
• We are beginning to understand the importance of the microbiome and its impact on human health and how it can help treat or prevent infections and other disease.
  • E.g. The Indian gut is different from a Western gut which translates into differences in pathogen tolerance among the two populations!

At the same time, there are still many unknowns and questions we are facing:

• What’s next in terms of an outbreak?
• Where do specific pathogens originate from?
• How can we quickly diagnose them?
• How can we prevent outbreaks from happening?
• Why do certain cultures and populations respond different to pathogens compared to others?

At our upcoming, first East coast conference, PMWC 2017 Duke we have many exciting sessions, two specifically addressing Novel Approaches to Infectious Disease Diagnosis and Therapeutic Development as well as Understanding the Human Microbiome:

Novel Approaches to Infectious Disease Diagnosis and Therapeutic Development
Chaired by Dr. Chris Wood (Duke University)
This session will focus on the development of novel diagnostic approaches to infectious disease, including the promises, challenges and pitfalls, and the regulatory / reimbursement issues associated with these developing tests. Furthermore, the importance of the human microbiome and its significance for targeted antibiotics development will be covered. Dr. Margaret Riley’s (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) talk: “Targeted Antibacterials Are Attractive Candidates for Therapeutic Development” will be included in the session.

The Role of the Human Microbiome
Chaired by Dr. Lawrence David (Duke University)
As our understanding of the human microbiome increases, we begin to see the human organism as more than its own single entity: modern research is showing that our microbiota has a major impact on our health and lifestyle. This session will explore the various developments of our understanding of the human microbiome, and what expectations exist for the future of microbiome-related science.

Furthermore, we will hear from several institutions and commercial companies that are active in this space, building solutions that address either the technological aspects that will be key in confronting some of the challenges associated with the combat of pathogen outbreaks, solutions for pathogen identification itself, or working on understanding the microbiome. These include:

• Duke University
• Duke Health
• Mount Sinai
• Metabolon
• Oregon Health & Science University
• The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Announcement: Due to increased demand we added a second track for company presentations – Contact [email protected] for more information.