Keypoint Newsletter: Fall Line-Up Kicks off with Long- COVID, and exclusive NPR Coverage!

Our fall line-up of conferences is off to a great start, featuring many emerging and hot topics, from longcovid to next-generation nanomedicines, regulatory RNAs, vaccinology and more! (see listing below)  In  particular, the Long COVID and Post-Acute Sequalae of SARS CoV-2: Pathogenesis and Treatment conference made a big splash in the news media, with NPR reporter Will Stone in attendance (see NPR & BBC coverage below!).  Held in Santa Fe from August 27 to 30, it was the first meeting of its kind to gather researchers from across diverse disciplines to discuss emerging research on the causes of this mysterious post-pandemic illness.  From mitochondrial pathology to pulmonary, neurological and metabolic impacts, the meeting integrated a wide range of research to identify disease drivers and causes of systemic and inexplicable symptoms. Attendees were enthusiastic about the array of insights from talks, and personal connections made to advance scientific and clinical research for the benefit of patients. (Get On Demand Access for the meeting!)

Find out more about meeting highlights below, with our exclusive interviews with Long COVID and Next-Generation Nanomedicines conference organizers, as they answer our burning questions about their meeting, the latest discoveries in the field and future directions. 

Long COVID and Post Acute Sequalae of SARS CoV-2 (PASC): Pathogenesis and Treatment

Dr. Steven Deeks discusses the emerging research on mechanisms and pathology behind the mysterious illness of long COVID, as well as emerging treatments that was covered in the conference in August.

See the meeting program & get On Demand Access here

Meeting Highlights:

• Keynote Address by Gary H. Gibbons, NHLBI, National Institutes of Health,
  RECOVER Initiative: Progress and Future Directions
• Immunopathology, including autoantibodies, neuroinflammation and immunophenotyping in patients
• Vascular, pulmonary and cardiac dysfunction, and impacts on various organ systems
• Lessons learned from other post-infectious syndromes, including lyme disease, EBV, and chronic fatigue syndrome
• Disease management and emerging treatments
  
  

Listen to NPR & BBC Coverage of the Meeting! 

• NPR Health News: Scientists look at progress made toward understanding- and treating- long COVID
• NPR Morning Edition:  Scientists gathered in New Mexico to address persistent symptoms of long COVID
• NPR Weekend Edition: Scientists are meeting in Santa Fe to unravel the mystery of long COVID
• NPR Shots: Unraveling long COVID: Here's what scientists who study the illness want to find out
• BBC Science in Action: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct4scs (10 minutes into broadcast)

See more social media posts at:

#KSLongCOVID24

Co-organizers Dr. Resia Pretorius and Dr.Catherine Blish wrap up the meeting with reflections on scientific insights and impacts on the community

Next-Generation Nanomedicine

Virtual, September 6-8

Dr. Philip Felgner shares insights into how the field has gone from inception to application since he first organized a Keystone Symposia on the topic in 1998, and now 25 years later looking ahead to the new therapeutic potential that lies within reach.

Meeting Highlights:

• Keynote Address by Pieter Cullis, University of British Columbia
  Rational Design of Lipid Nanoparticle Delivery Systems for Nucleic Acid-Based Drugs
• Novel delivery technologies and tissue targeting approaches to overcome current limitations
  
• Machine learning and AI approaches to revolutionize nanomedicine capabilities
• Advances in mRNA Vaccines and immunoengineering
• Clinical applications beyond vaccines
  

Check out the meeting program and get On Demand Access here

Hear Dr. Felgner's insights on the field overall here

See the full 2024 season roster here

Return to the September 2023 Keypoint Newsletter