Symposium on tuberculosis drug discovery and immunology
17 May 2012
This month the Maurice Wilkins Centre hosted a special two-day symposium on tuberculosis drug discovery and immunology highlighting links between New Zealand and Colorado State University. The event, which was open to all interested members of the scientific community, was held in the Fale Pasifika at The University of Auckland.
High profile speakers from New Zealand and around the world included:
- Distinguished Professor Ian Orme, Colorado State University, an expert in the immunology and therapy of tuberculosis
- Distinguished Professor Bill Denny, The University of Auckland, a medicinal chemist and drug designer who co-leads the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre
- Professor Dean Crick, Colorado State University, directs the CSU mycobacteria laboratories. His research focuses on the biochemistry of the infected lung’s response to the bacterium that causes tuberculosis.
- Distinguished Professor Ted Baker, The University of Auckland, a leader in structural biology with a particular focus on the structure and function of tuberculosis proteins
- Associate Professor Anne Lenaerts, Colorado State University, Mycobacteria Research Laboratories Director at CSU. She has developed a number of laboratory tests and systems to improve and accelerate the testing of tuberculosis drugs.
- Professor Greg Cook, University of Otago, a bacterial physiologist studying the cellular and molecular adaptations that Mycobacterium tuberculosis employs to enter a dormant state in the human host.
Following discussion of the latest tuberculosis research, the closing session at the symposium looked at how to maximise the benefits of links between New Zealand researchers and Colorado State University.