IMMUNOLOGY2022™
The CPA sponsored two important and timely policy sessions at IMMUNOLOGY2022™, the AAI annual meeting that was held in Portland, Oregon, in early May. Both chaired by CPA Chair Peter Jensen, M.D., the sessions were: “ARPA-H: What You Need to Know and How it May Impact Federal Funding of Biomedical Research,” and “Vaccine Acceptance: Lessons from the Past and Tools for the Future.”
The ARPA-H session, which took place shortly after the legislation officially establishing ARPA-H had been enacted, featured three excellent presentations. The first speaker, NIH Acting Principal Deputy Director Tara Schwetz, Ph.D., provided detailed information about legislative and Administration efforts to create this bold new entity focused on use-driven high-risk, high-reward scientific research. Amy Jenkins, Ph.D., a Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the entity on which ARPA-H is based, described what she believes constitutes a good “ARPA” project. The final talk was given by Amanda Jamieson, Ph.D. (AAI ’15), an Associate Professor at Brown University, who shared her unique insights as an investigator who has received grant funding from both NIH and DARPA.
The vaccine acceptance session drew a large audience concerned about the problem of misinformation and disinformation and its deleterious impact on both public health, and trust in science. Richard Carpiano, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor of Public Policy and the University of California, Riverside, gave a broad overview of the landscape, focusing on factors that drive people to vaccinate or not to vaccinate, and offering policy interventions that might address the problem. The audience was also pleased to hear from AAI Councilor Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D. (AAI ’00), Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at the Yale School of Medicine, who discussed specific types of misinformation and disinformation that has been spread during the COVID-19 pandemic and some of the ways that she and her colleagues have tried to counter these false claims. Dr. Iwasaki also talked more generally about how scientists can get involved in the public arena, including through some of the lessons she has learned through her robust presence on Twitter.
Virtual IMMUNOLOGY2021™
The CPA sponsored a policy session entitled, “The U.S. COVID-19 Response: Successes, Failures, and Ongoing Challenges,” at Virtual IMMUNOLOGY2021™. The session, which was co-chaired by CPA Chair Ross Kedl, Ph.D., and CPA member Kristin Hogquist, Ph.D., featured a distinguished panel of experts who focused on key aspects of the response. A. Nicole Clowers, M.P.A., the Managing Director of the Health Care team at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), discussed GAO’s role in carefully analyzing the federal government’s response to the pandemic through a series of reports. Leandris Liburd, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A., Director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity at CDC, talked about the crucial need to address health disparities throughout the response. And Katherine Wu, Ph.D., a staff writer at The Atlantic, shared her unique perspective on how understanding human behavior is a necessary tool to help end the pandemic.
IMMUNOLOGY2019™
The CPA sponsored two sessions at IMMUNOLOGY2019™, both chaired by CPA Chair David Chaplin, M.D., Ph.D. The first session, “Advocating for Biomedical Research: We’ve Done it and So Can You!,” featured a panel of AAI members from a variety of careers stages who have engaged in science advocacy: Wayne Yokoyama, M.D., Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Pamela Fink, Ph.D., University of Washington; Lisa Borghesi, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh; Jason Gigley, Ph.D., University of Wyoming; and, Mariana Guerra Maupome, D.V.M., Ph.D., Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
The CPA’s second session, cosponsored by the AAI Minority Affairs Committee and the AAI Committee on the Status of Women, was entitled “Fostering Diversity and Preventing Harassment in the Biomedical Research Workforce.” The session featured remarks from Elizabeth Hillman, J.D. Ph.D., President of Mills College; Hannah Valantine, M.D., NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity; and, Avery August, Ph.D., HHMI Professor, Professor of Immunology, and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at Cornell University. Their presentations are available on the AAI website (Dr. Hillman's presentation, Dr. Valantine's presentation, and Dr. August's presentation).
IMMUNOLOGY2018™
At IMMUNOLOGY2018™ the CPA sponsored a session entitled “Town Hall Meeting on NIH Efforts to Fund the Next Generation: Progress, Challenges, and Future Directions.” The session, which was chaired by CPA Chair Beth Garvy, Ph.D., featured presentations by NIH Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D., Vice Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine Gary Koretzky, M.D. Ph.D., and Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine Judy Cannon, Ph.D.
IMMUNOLOGY2017™
At IMMUNOLOGY2017™, the CPA sponsored a session/town hall meeting entitled “Biomedical Research Priorities in the New Administration and Congress.” The event was chaired by CPA Chair Beth Garvy, Ph.D., and featured Science magazine staff writer Jocelyn Kaiser, chair of the CPA NIH Subcommittee David Chaplin, M.D., Ph.D., and AAI Vice President Wayne Yokoyama, M.D.
IMMUNOLOGY2016™
At IMMUNOLOGY2016™, the CPA hosted a session entitled “Hot Topics in NIH Funding and Research Policy.” The event featured presentations by CSR Director Richard Nakamura, Ph.D., NIA Director Richard Hodes, M.D., and former AAI President Gail Bishop, Ph.D., and was Chaired by CPA Chair Clifford Harding, M.D., Ph.D.
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IMMUNOLOGY2015™
At IMMUNOLOGY2015™, the CPA hosted a session entitled “Funding for Immunology Research: Non-Federal Opportunities and NIAID Program Update.” The session, which was chaired by CPA Chair Clifford Harding, M.D., Ph.D., featured presentations by William Chambers, Ph.D. (American Cancer Society), Gwen Nguyen (Indiegogo), Bruce Walker, M.D. (Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard), and Daniel Rotrosen, M.D. (NIAID).
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IMMUNOLOGY2014™
At IMMUNOLOGY2014™, the CPA hosted a session entitled “Rock-Talking with Sally Rockey: The Issues, the Blog, and the Woman Behind It All.” The session featured the Director of the NIH Office of Extramural Research Sally Rockey, Ph.D., and was chaired by CPA Chair Elizabeth Kovacs, Ph.D.
AAI also celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Public Affairs program at IMMUNOLOGY 2014™ with a reception and a performance by the political satire group The Capitol Steps. The CPA reception featured thoughtful remarks by AAI President Marc Jenkins, Ph.D.
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IMMUNOLOGY2013™
At IMMUNOLOGY2013™, the CPA hosted a session entitled "The Importance of Communicating Science in an Era of Doubters and Deniers." The session was designed to stress the importance and value of communicating science to the public.
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IMMUNOLOGY2012™
At IMMUNOLOGY2012™, the CPA held two sessions organized by the committee and chaired by CPA chair Derry Roopenian, including "Meet the Advocacy Partners" and "NIH Peer Review: Understanding the New System."
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IMMUNOLOGY2011™
At IMMUNOLOGY2011™, the CPA held a session, "Got Funding? Why Your Voice is Needed on Capitol Hill." The session included talks by Jeff Frelinger, Paul Allen, Gail Bishop, Olja Finn, and Gary Kline.
The session was organized by the Committee on Public Affairs and chaired by AAI President Jeff Frelinger.
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