Maria Elena Bottazzi | Co-Director of Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development
Baylor College of Medicine

Maria Elena Bottazzi, Co-Director of Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi is an internationally recognized tropical and emerging disease vaccinologist, global health advocate and cocreator of a patent-free, open science COVID-19 vaccine technology that led to the development of Corbevax in India and IndoVac in Indonesia, and with approximately 100 million doses delivered. She pioneers and leads the advancement of a robust infectious and tropical disease vaccine portfolio tackling diseases such as coronavirus, hookworm, schistosomiasis, and Chagas that affect disproportionally the world’s poorest populations. She also has established innovative partnerships in Latin America, Middle East and Southeast Asia, making significant contributions to innovative educational & research programs, catalyze policies and disseminate science information to reach a diverse set of audiences.  She is a former Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine Scholar from the US National Academy of Medicine (NAM), a Leshner Leadership Institute Public Engagement Fellow in Infectious Diseases of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Fellow. As global thought-leader she has received national and international highly regarded awards, has more than 250 scientific papers and participated in more than 300 conferences worldwide. In 2023, she was awarded the Vilcek-Gold Award for Humanism in Healthcare and the Rachael Schneerson - John Robbins Prize. For three years in a row, Forbes selected Dr. Bottazzi as one of 100 Most Powerful Women in Central America. In 2022, alongside Dr. Peter Hotez, she was nominated by Texas Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher for the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Bottazzi obtained her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Clinical Chemistry from the National Autonomous University of Honduras and a doctorate in Molecular Immunology and Experimental Pathology from the University of Florida. Her post-doctoral training in Cellular Biology was completed at University of Miami and Pennsylvania, where afterwards worked at the George Washington University prior to relocating to Texas.

Appearances:



Pre-Congress Workshops - 21st April @ 14:00

GLOBAL HEALTH - PARASITIC & NTD VACCINES

Parasitic disease vaccine development short talks:

  • Hookworm anaemia and malaria combination vaccine development
  • Early development of a vaccine against visceral leishmaniasis
  • A defined molecular vaccine for intestinal schistosomiasis * title TBC
  • Development of vaccines for lymphatic filariasis *Title TBC

Panel: Challenges in establishing correlates of protection and planning trials for NTD (parasitic) vaccines

  • What are the difficulties in establishing COP for parasitic vaccines
  • Planning for ph2-3 trials – how can we innovate in creating pathways and designs?

 

Panel: Moving the needle: alternative pathways to approval for global health vaccines (Parasitic & Neglected Diseases)

  • Considering pathways to approval in different scenarios – in-country experiences
    • Enabling different technology pathways
    • From a manufacturing perspective
  • Moving from science to deployment –  other than strong data what do we need to move these vaccines forward?
  • Understanding incentives for production, government incentives to buy, individual country policies and regulatory requirements
  • How is this challenge further compounded with diseases that are not fatal but have high morbidity burden?
  • Case studies – Marburg, Hookworm
  • Improving stringency of regulatory agencies through new frameworks
  • Can combinations deal with the issue of high burden but low interest? What would be the complications of combining these types of vaccines?

 

 

Main Congress Day 1 - 22nd April @ 11:40

Keynote Panel: Chikungunya - a growing global burden exacerbated by climate change and globalization

·     Introduction of new vaccines and updating medical practice for Chik control.·     How should we define outbreaks and how could we identify and predict hotspots?·     How will we meet the demands of more vaccines as climate change drives the need further?

Main Congress Day 2 - 23rd April @ 09:10

Panel: Partnering in Asia – leveraging the region to strengthen the global vaccine ecosystem

  • Opportunities in vaccine research, product development, manufacture and licensure
  • Using PPPs as a model to minimize risk and maximize gains
  • What risks and advantages does international partnerships in Asia provide?
last published: 27/Nov/24 17:05 GMT

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