Proceedings of the Influenza Research Priorities Workshop

Appendix 3: Workshop Agenda

Influenza Research Priorities Workshop
August 31 - September 1, 2005

Delta Ottawa Hotel and Suites
361 Queen Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7S9

Workshop Co-Chairs:

Dr. David Scheifele, Canadian Association for Immunization Research & Evaluation
and
Dr. Theresa Tam, Immunization and Respiratory Infections Division, PHAC

Theme:

Seeking creative advances in pandemic and inter-pandemic preparedness and control.

Goal:

To gather Canadian and International vaccine experts and researchers to determine the national research priorities that will enhance pandemic and inter-pandemic influenza prevention and control strategies.

Objectives:

To review current knowledge on influenza, including annual and pandemic prevention and control strategies and identify key knowledge gaps to be addressed by further research
To identify the current state of influenza research and provide recommendations to strengthen future research activities, research response capacity and infrastructure in Canada, in order to address:
- inter-pandemic / annual influenza prevention control
- pandemic preparedness and response
To publish and use the identified key research priorities to guide and facilitate further discussions by researchers and potential influenza research sponsors.

Day One Agenda
Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Time	Agenda Item	Presenter
7:00 - 8:30	Registration and Breakfast (Victoria Room)
8:30 - 9:00	Welcome and Opening Remarks Overview of workshop goals, objectives, and expected outcomes	Alan Bernstein Arlene King David Scheifele Theresa Tam
9:00 - 9:30	Influenza 101 Overview of viral evolution, pathogenesis, communicability, epidemiology and natural immunity	Mark Loeb
9:30 - 10:00	Current pandemic/inter-pandemic influenza preparedness and control strategies Overview of current annual control strategies and tools Overview of the Pandemic Influenza Plan Overview of the current state of pandemic threat	Theresa Tam
10:00 - 10:30	Break (Foyer)
10:30 - 11:00	Obstacles and opportunities for influenza control - antivirals Overview of the available and new anti-influenza drugs What are the gaps in knowledge? What other immunotherapeutic options exist?	Fred Aoki
11:00 - 11 :30	Obstacles and opportunities for influenza control - vaccines Limitations of current vaccines and control programs and how they might be addressed. Opportunities for improved control provided by new vaccine technologies.	Susan Tamblyn
11:30 - 12 :00	Current national influenza research activities and gaps Overview of current Canadian research activities on influenza, including themes, investigators, networks, funding sources, and suggested improved approaches to influenza-related research in Canada.	David Scheifele
12:00 - 12:15	Break-Out Session Instructions (participants will be pre-assigned to one of three break-out sessions) For each break-out topic, participants will identify the important unknowns (knowledge gaps), research response, capacity and infrastructure gaps/needs with respect to both inter-pandemic and pandemic periods. Each break-out group will make recommendations for the key three to five research priorities for their assigned topic area.	David Scheifele Theresa Tam
12:15 - 12:35	Working Lunch/Break
12:35 - 15:00	Session A (Victoria Room) Challenges influenza poses in the community This break-out group will discuss research pertaining to disease risk and impact assessment, as well as influenza prevention and control strategies in the community e.g. epidemiologic and risk factor assessment, economic impact, animal to human transmission, health care system interventions, public health/vaccine interventions to control or limit the spread of influenza.	Moderators: Ian Gemmill Karen Grimsrud
	Session B (Delta Room B) Challenges influenza poses in the health care setting This break-out group will discuss research in the clinical setting e.g. diagnosis, patient treatment and management (other than antivirals), infection control, ambulatory care issues, health care system interventions, clinical trials and other clinical research capacity.	Moderators: Gary Garber Mark Loeb
	Session C (Delta Room A) Challenges influenza poses to basic and applied science This break-out group will discuss basic and applied research on influenza e.g. rapid diagnostics, animal models, virulence factors, correlates of protection, transmissibility of animal influenza viruses.	Moderators: Guy Boivin Earl Brown
15:00 - 15:30	Break Moderators (with Rapporteurs) compile summary for presentation to Plenary group
15:30 - 16:45	PLENARY - Reporting back from break-out sessions A-C	Break-out Moderators
16:45 - 17:00	Closing remarks for Day 1	Paul Gully

Day Two Agenda
Thursday, September 1, 2005

Time	Agenda Item	Presenter
7:00 - 8:30	Breakfast (Victoria Room)
8:30 - 9:00	Global influenza research strategies and activities Overview of critical global research needs and how individual countries can address the gaps.	Klaus Stöhr
9:00 - 9:30	U.S. influenza research strategies and activities Overview of how the U.S. is preparing for research pertaining to influenza pandemic and inter-pandemic control and prevention measures.	Ben Schwartz
9:30 - 10:00	Break (Foyer)
10:00 - 12:30	Session D (Delta Room A) Optimizing influenza vaccines This break-out group will discuss influenza vaccine-related research e.g. novel vaccine development, increasing vaccine immunogenicity and effectiveness, adjuvants and other dose sparing strategies, forecasting vaccine strains, vaccinating populations before a pandemic (evidence for cross-protection).	Moderators: Joanne Langley Brian Ward
	Session E (Victoria Room) Optimizing vaccination programs This break-out group will discuss immunization program issues e.g. assessing program effectiveness, disease impact of vaccination programs, economic impact, vaccine safety, ethical issues, communications and public opinion research.	Moderators: Gaston De Serres Susan Tamblyn
	Session F (Delta Room B) Optimizing the use of antiviral drugs This break-out group will discuss research on antiviral and other therapeutic drugs for influenza e.g. novel therapeutics, effectiveness of antivirals for treatment and prophylaxis, drug safety, drug resistance, economic impact, ethical issues, communications and public opinion research.	Moderators: Todd Hatchette Coleman Rotstein
12:30 - 13:00	Working Lunch (VICTORIA ROOM) Moderators (with Rapporteurs) compile summary for presentation to Plenary group
13:00 - 14:00	PLENARY - Reporting back from break-out sessions D-F	Break-out Moderators
14:00 - 16:00	INTEGRATION & SUMMATION What are the ten key research priorities pertaining to annual epidemic and pandemic control? Which of these questions are most urgent? When will this research be needed? What new research capacity and infrastructure (including funding strategies) is needed to facilitate research in the critical areas? Who are the key stakeholders, clients, and funders?	Lorne Babiuk Scott Halperin
16:00 - 16:30	WRAP-UP & CLOSING REMARKS Identify key next steps to move the identified priorities forward Closing remarks	Theresa Tam David Scheifele