Institutional Events and Research Calendar

NIH Virtual SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral Therapeutics Summit

Nov. 6, 2020
11 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. EST

NCATS and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) are co-hosting this scientific summit to discuss progress and remaining challenges in developing antiviral treatments for COVID-19. Scientific experts from public and private sectors will examine such topics as SARS-CoV-2 targets for drug development and tools to test promising antiviral drug candidates. They also will identify unmet research needs, share lessons learned from other infectious diseases and explore opportunities for public-private partnerships. The summit opens with remarks from NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.; NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D.

The meeting can be viewed live or on demand. Registration is not required.

Website(link is external) • Agenda(link is external) • Hosts & Presenters(link is external) • Join via NIH VideoCast

9^th Annual Community Engagement and Research Symposium WEBINAR 

Strategies for reducing adverse outcomes for criminal justice-involved populations

November 16, 2020, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Click here to Register  

Registration Deadline: November 12, 2020
You will receive a Zoom link and passcode upon completing your registration.

Community Engagement and Collaboration Core Webinar Series 2020

Assay Guidance Workshop for High-Throughput Screening and Lead Discovery

Nov. 18-19, 2020
Day 1: 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST
Day 2: 8:50 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST

NCATS is hosting a two-day workshop that will cover a broad range of critical concepts underlying assay development and implementation for high-throughput screening and lead discovery projects. This workshop is designed to disseminate critical information about the implementation of robust assay methods and is particularly relevant for researchers developing molecular probes or clinical candidates. Many of the workshop instructors have 20 to 30 years of experience in the field of drug discovery and will share information not readily found in a classroom or published material outside of the Assay Guidance Manual (AGM). It will also cover emerging technologies and modalities in drug discovery, including the use of stem cells, antibody therapeutics, DNA-encoded libraries and advances in COVID-19 therapeutics.

Along with the AGM, this workshop will provide participants with a broad, practical perspective on assay development and data analysis so they can improve research projects involving drug discovery and know where to find further information; identify reagents, methods and instrumentation that are well suited to robust assays; and develop robust assays and the required counter and secondary assays for targets of interest. In addition, the workshop will provide participants with broad overviews and practical perspectives on new and emerging modalities in drug discovery.

Learn more and register for the workshop(link is external).

2020 NIH Rural Health Seminar: Challenges in the Era of COVID-19

Nov. 19, 2020
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. EST

Join NCATS and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities for the 2020 NIH Rural Health Seminar: Challenges in the Era of COVID-19. The seminar will bring together researchers, medical practitioners and others to explore topics in rural health. Learn about the impact of COVID-19 on rural populations, on systems and workforce issues, and on community engagement in response to the pandemic.

This seminar will provide an opportunity to explore important issues of rural health. Sessions include the following:

• Rural Population Impact and Response in the Time of COVID-19
• Researchers and Community Partners Respond to the Challenges of COVID-19

To join the conversation on social media, please use the hashtag #RuralHealth.

Website • Registration(link is external) • Join via NIH VideoCast

Virtual Workshop on Systemic Immunogenicity Considerations for AAV-Mediated Gene Therapy

Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2020

The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are co-hosting a virtual Workshop on Systemic Immunogenicity Considerations for Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV)-Mediated Gene Therapy. This meeting will bring together scientists, therapeutic developers and patient representatives to focus on immunogenicity issues related to the systemic administration of AAV gene therapy products and identify solutions for those issues.

Goals for this meeting are to—

• Exchange lessons learned from AAV gene therapy clinical trials to date, including clinical manifestations of immunogenicity, methods for evaluating the risk of immune responses, effective immunosuppressive protocols and other clinical topics.
• Explore emerging methods and technologies for modulating immune responses to AAV gene therapies with respect to both reducing the immunogenicity of AAV vector molecules and tolerizing strategies.
• Review basic, preclinical and clinical knowledge gaps, including the adequacy of current in-silico algorithms, preclinical models, assays and knowledge-sharing mechanisms to address those gaps.
• Identify and explore potential solutions.

Please submit abstracts by Oct. 1, 2020. Abstracts can be submitted online using this form(link is external) or by downloading and emailing a fillable PDF to Deanna Portero(link sends e-mail) with the subject line: Abstract Submission for Digital AAV Immunogenicity Workshop.

Learn more and register for the workshop(link is external).