LIVE Organizing Universities

  University of Antwerp (UA, Belgium)       

Local Coordinator: Prof Peter DELPUTTE, vaccinology@uantwerpen.be

Infectious Diseases and Drug Research are two of the key domains in which the University of Antwerp has built up long-standing expertise and an international reputation for excellence. These domains incorporate the multidisciplinary research being carried out into infectious diseases and vaccines. In addition, the research is conducted in a highly competitive international environment in collaboration with hospitals, industry (GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Crucell and several local SME) and the Institute of Tropical Medicine. Furthermore, the UA has access to state-of-the-art infrastructure to conduct and monitor clinical microbiological or vaccine trials (phase I to IV), such as clinical trials for dendritic cell vaccines or HPV vaccines. These are complemented with (sero) epidemiological studies on vaccine-preventable diseases and evaluation and validation of rapid detection of respiratory pathogens in samples from patients with severe lung infections.

A large portion of the research carried out in these fields is covered by the Antwerp Drug Discovery Network (ADDN), which the World Health Organization (WHO) recognises as a Reference Centre and The Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO). The latter was established to promote the multidisciplinary research of vaccines and infectious diseases. Since September 2010 it is formally recognized as WHO Collaborating Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases and a WHO Collaborating Centre for viral hepatitis vaccination programmes. Furthermore, the UA hosts the the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption (ESAC) platform and organizes every year an international summer course in vaccinology.

Since academic year 2012-2013, the UA has offered three English-language specialisations for the Master in Biomedical Sciences, one of which is the Master in Infectious and Tropical Diseases that forms the core for our participation the LIVE master project. UA will be responsible for the Infectiology part of the course during the second semester, but will also foster both the vicinity of and the existing collaborations with GSK to build two vaccines related teaching Units for the Joint LIVE Master. UA will actively participate in the different joint committees, the SC and the AMB.

 Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB, Spain)        

Local Coordinator: Prof Dolores JARAQUEMADA, Dolores.Jaraquemada@uab.cat

Immunology is directly related to extraordinary advances in healthcare: vaccines, transplants, antibodies, anticancer therapy, differentiation factors and immune-based therapies. From the academic year 2006-07 the joint Master in Advanced Immunology UB/UAB, provides knowledge and skills in Basic, Clinical and Veterinary Immunology. It has a highly qualified panel of scientists working in Immunology from universities, hospitals, research centers and companies from the Barcelona area, around Spain and other countries. They visit the different institutions to teach students or receive them in their labs for their master's theses. The Master's website is in permanent contact with the students for tutoring and providing information on events and job offers related to the field.

The role of the UAB in the LIVE will be to offer the students knowledge in the field of Immunology and its importance in vaccine design, monitoring and success. Together with the Antwerp University and the University of Lyon we make a highly complemented match by providing, (i) the basis of the immune response; (ii) the basis of infectiology and vaccinology and (iii) highly specialised knowledge on development, monitoring and exploitation of current and new vaccines.

The UAB will home the students during the first semester, will teach 30 ECTS, will provide any lab teaching needed in their classes, and will evaluate the students following the criteria of the participants' committee.

Although Lyon is the manager of the project, some management tasks will be shared by all partners A. At the moment the main task that the UAB will take on will be the organisation of the selection of students. We will also participate in all the joint committees that are required for the efficient running of the programme.

The Campus of the UAB has recognized experience in welcoming international students through the International Welcome Point (IWP) that offers information regarding registration, visa requirements, residence permits and accomodation. The UAB also provides specialized support on administrative and logistic procedures as well as the following services: Library, Sports and Physical Activity Service (SAF), Healthcare Centre, Live Culture, Language Courses, Student's representation and PIUNE (Support for Students with Disabilities).  

  Universitat de Barcelona (UB, Spain)       

Local Coordinator: Dr Thomas STRATMANN, thomas.stratmann@ub.edu

The Universitat de Barcelona (UB) has a longstanding experience by leading in coordination with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) the Master of Advanced Immunology. This master has attracted students worldwide, including Europe, Central and South America, North America and Africa, due to an outstanding local research environment, constituted of basic science as well as clinical and applied research. The teachers implicated in our programme, all together prestigeous experts of the field of immunology, are recruited from state-of-the-art, newly established research centers (all within the last 10-15 years) that include the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Institute for Biomedical Research (IRB), or the Research Center for Animal Health (CRESA), the latter being especially valuable for the Vaccinology Master as it contains a Biosafety Level 3 installation, allowing thus to work with highly infectious agents. Experts are also recruited from local Universities like the University Pompeu Fabra, from local Hospitals with National recognition including the Hospital Clinic, the Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi and Sunyer (IDIBAPS), the very recently established Center Esther Koplowitz (CEK), the University Hospital of Bellvitge hosting the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, or of the University Hospital Vall d'Hebron, or science parks such as the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) and the Park of Biomedical Investigation of Barcelona (PPRB), to name just a few highlights. These centers will accommodate students willing to carry out their master's theses in these environments. Many of the teaching researchers are financed by highly competitive grants including ERC grants, Non-ERC European projects, national and non-European international projects.

The UB will provide teaching facilities for several of courses and evaluate these courses. Together with the UAB, the UB will provide to the students a solid base in Immunology, necessary to understand the courses provided by the other partner universities. The UB will be responsible for networking to monitor, inform, maintain and develop the associated partner network. In cooperation with the UAB, the UB will establish contacts between interested students and host laboratories to carry out the Master's theses.

Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL, France)         

LIVE Coordinator: Prof Christine DELPRAT, christine.delprat@univ-lyon1.fr

UCBL has created the Master “Genetics & Biology of the Cell - Fundamental Infectiology” which is co-accredited with UJM from 2012. UCBL has a great experience in organizing Masters with 46 Masters in Biology, Pharmacy & Medicine and takes care each year of #400 foreign students from 125 nationalities. UCBL hosts iCAP at the leading edge for digital learning and enjoys a unique environment in the world of academic scientific expertise coupled to a solid industrial fabric, internationally recognized in infectious diseases: (i) CIRI, the newly created International Centre for Infectiology Research with 20 international research teams including 4 active ERC grants, (ii) bioMérieux (7,700 employees), the world leader in microbiology diagnostics, (iii) Sanofi Pasteur (13,000 employees), the world leader in human vaccines, (iv) Merial (6,000 employees), a world leader in veterinary products, (v) LYON BIOPOLE, a worldwide centre of excellence in vaccine and diagnostics, (vi) BIOASTER, the only health-related Technology Research Institute, selected for Investments for the Future. Most of the 250 companies acting in vaccine and diagnostics (50,000 jobs) are involved in the Master of Infectiology for near ten years to transfer knowledge and skills from industrial world to academic, propose internships, fund specific events and employ the graduated students. They now asked for a sustainable training of international managers in vaccinology to foster their development worldwide.

UCBL is the coordinator of the JMD-LIVE and will manage secretariat, grants (recruitment of project manager, payment of allowances, and repartition of participation costs…), meetings organisation, and website structure. UCBL will be involved in classical teaching, but also in the development of e-learning, flipped class, e-portfolio and MOOC. UCBL will interface vaccines & cancers and share some student's internship during the semester 4. With UJM, UCBL launched the VaxInEu symposia. With the consortium, UCBL will participate to pre-selection, quality assurance, communication and networking according to the managers from the other four full partners responsible for these activities. 

Université Jean Monnet Saint-Etienne (UJM, France)         

Local Coordinator: Prof Stéphane PAUL, stephane.paul@chu-st-etienne.fr

UJM by its Faculty of Medicine deliver jointly with UCBL the Master of Infectiology and has a great experience in Erasmus mundus JMD. UJM hosts research (GIMAP) and clinical (Clinical Investigation Center CIC1408 in Vaccinology) structures dedicated to vaccinology. GIMAP is a research structure with a strong background in the field of mucosal vaccination. CIC Vaccinology is a clinical structure labelled by INSERM, ANRS and member of the REIVAC network in vaccinology clinical investigation. With the REIVAC, UJM participate to the recent I-REIVAC program in the F-CRIN European network application. The CIC has extensive experience in the evaluation of phase I and II of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines in the field of infectious diseases, oncology and in immunocompromised patients with both industrial and academic partners. It has also developed a strong platform of vaccine immunomonitoring. UJM is mainly involved in (1) LYON BIOPOLE, a worldwide centre of excellence in vaccine and diagnostics linking big pharma companies with multiple smaller companies and academic research (2) BIOASTER, the only health-related Technology Research Institute, selected by the General Commission for Investments for the Future in France. Based on an innovative public/private partnership, BIOASTER conducts collaborative interdisciplinary R&D activities to ensure optimal alignment between research and innovation.

During the implementation of LIVE, UJM will be involved in teaching during the semester 3 but also in the development of prerequisite, in the development of e-learning and MOOC for the semester 3 and will organize practical training period in our laboratories. UJM will also manage some student's internship during the semester 4. UJM will be a member of the AMB and the Assurance Quality Scheme and associated to pre-selection and selection of candidates. Regarding quality assessment issues, UJM will compile the quality assurance questionnaires for the third semester and communicate it to the external experts. Also, within the consortium LIVE, UJM will be in charge of the communication and web site aspects. UJM is with UCBL at the basis of the organization of the meeting VaxInEu which will continue each year to develop this important appointment for LIVE JMD.