About us

Board of Directors
Launch of PREVENT, May 2008

Board of Directors

Lorne Babiuk, Chair, Vice President Research, University of Alberta

Luis Barreto, Vice President of Public, Scientific, and Medical Affairs, Sanofi-Aventis

Christian Blouin, Director, Vaccine Division, Merck Frosst Canada Ltd

Robert Brunham, Provincial Executive Director, BC Centre for Disease Control

Karen Chad, Vice-President, Research, University of Saskatchewan

Scott Halperin, Director, Canadian Center for Vaccinology

Greg Hammond, former Director, Public Health Branch, Province of Manitoba; Professor and infectious disease physician, Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba

Paul Hodgson, Secretary, Associate Director, Business Development, VIDO/InterVac

George Khachatourians, Professor, University of Saskatchewan

Andrew Potter, CEO and President, Director, University of Saskatchewan VIDO/InterVac International Vaccine Centre

David Scheifele, Professor, Pediatrics, Division of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of British Columbia; Director, Vaccine Evaluation Centre, UBC

Andrew Sheldon, Chief Executive Officer, Medicago Inc.


Did you know?
image of E. coli bacteria

Escherichia coli (E. coli), is a bacterium commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded animals. Most E. coli strains are harmless and are part of the normal beneficial flora of the gut, but some, such as serotype O157:H7, can cause serious food poisoning in humans. Ingestion of contaminated water or food is the usual causes of illness from E. coli.

BACKGROUNDER

Immunization:
Inoculation and Vaccination

Inoculation (also known as variolation) was introduced to the west by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689-1762), who witnessed inoculation being
portrait of lady
practiced by physicians in Constantinople,[12] and was greatly impressed:[13] she had lost a brother to smallpox and bore facial scars from the disease herself. In 1718 she had the embassy surgeon inoculate her son, and in 1721, after returning to England, had her daughter inoculated[14]. In 1722 the Prince of Wales' daughters received inoculations[16].

The practice of inoculation slowly spread amongst the royal families of Europe, followed by general adoption amongst the rest of the population. Given the severe consequences of smallpox in Europe in the 18th century, many parents felt that the benefits outweighed the risks and so inoculated their children.[21] [22]

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