Symposium on the Science of Vaccine Safety: Bridging Across Pillars
Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology Symposium on the Science of Vaccine Safety: Bridging Across Pillars
The Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology is hosting a Symposium on Vaccine Safety, to be held October 28 to 29, 2025. The core focus of the symposium will be biological, epidemiological, and societal aspects of vaccine safety, with a goal to connect vaccine researchers in the prairies and across the four CIHR pillars to promote collaboration. A trainee poster session will also be included, with an emphasis on presentations understandable to attendees across all pillars. The Symposium will be a day and a half; the poster session will be held the afternoon of day one. A practical training Workshop on communicating with the public/patients about vaccines and vaccine safety will be held in the afternoon of the second day, after the Symposium.
The Symposium is co-sponsored by the PRAIRIE Hub for Pandemic Preparedness.
For questions and additional information, please contact Wendy Magee, Director of Operations and Research in the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology at lksiov@ualberta.ca.
Agenda
Day 1 – Tuesday, October 28, 2025
8:30 - 9:00 AM: Registration & Coffee
9:00 - 9:15 AM: Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:15 - 9:45 AM: Setting the Stage (overview of vaccine safety, where does vaccine safety fit in the big picture of vaccine science)
Shannon MacDonald
9:45 - 10:45 AM: Keynote Address
Public Perceptions of Vaccine Safety
Ève Dubé, Laval University
10:45 - 11:00 AM: Coffee Break
11:00 AM - 12:50 PM: Overview of vaccine safety research across the pillars: How is vaccine safety considered in research in each of the pillars
11:00 - 11:25 PM: Pillar 1 (20 min + 5 min Q&A)
Ryan Noyce, 海角社区
11:25 - 11:50 PM: Pillar 2 (20 min + 5 min Q&A)
Karina Top, 海角社区
11:50 - 12:25 PM: Pillar 3 (20 min + 5 min Q&A)
Ellen Rafferty, Institute of Health Economics
12:25 - 12:50 PM: Pillar 4 (20 min + 5 min Q&A)
Kelley Lee, Simon Fraser University
12:50 - 1:50 PM: Lunch
1:50 - 2:40 PM: Panel discussion featuring previous speakers – How can we bridge
vaccine safety research across pillars?
2:40 - 4:00 PM: Poster Session
4:00 - 5:30 PM: Reception and Networking
Day 2 – Wednesday, October 29, 2025
8:30 - 9:00 AM: Light Breakfast
9:00 - 9:15 AM: Opening Remarks
9:15 - 10:15 AM: Keynote Address
Anna Blakney, University of British Columbia
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM: Coffee Break
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM: ECR and trainee presentations on vaccine evaluation/vaccine
safety research (10 min + 3 min Q)
12:00 - 12:15 PM: Closing Remarks
12:15 - 1:00 PM: Lunch
After the symposium has ended, there will be an optional training session:
1:00 – 3:00 PM: Interactive Workshop on Public Engagement, Hesitancy & Disinformation