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 hosted a Symposium on Vaccine Safety, held October 28 to 29, 2025. The core focus of the symposium was 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 was also included, with an emphasis on presentations understandable to attendees across all pillars. The Symposium was a day and a half; the poster session was held the afternoon of day one. A practical training Workshop on communicating with the public/patients about vaccines and vaccine safety was held in the afternoon of the second day, after the Symposium.

The Symposium was co-sponsored by the PRAIRIE Hub for Pandemic Preparedness.

 

Read a recap of the Symposium here. 

 

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 [Presentation Slides]

9:15 - 9:45 AM: Setting the Stage: Vaccine Safety in the Landscape of Vaccine Science
Shannon MacDonald [Presentation Slides]

9:45 - 10:45 AM: Keynote Address
Vaccine Safety: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Public 
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 (Biomedical)
Ryan Noyce, University of Alberta

11:25 - 11:50 PM: Pillar 2 (Clinical) [Presentation Slides]
Karina Top, University of Alberta

11:50 - 12:25 PM: Pillar 3 (Health Services) [Presentation Slides]
Ellen Rafferty, Institute of Health Economics

12:25 - 12:50 PM: Pillar 4 (Social, Cultural, Environmental, and Population Health) [Presentation Slides]
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 [Presentation Slides]

9:15 - 10:15 AM: Keynote Address
Next-Generation RNA Vaccines & Therapies [Presentation Slides]
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