2021 ISV Annual Congress

Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to announce that the International Society for Vaccines (ISV) Annual Congress will be held in historic Québec City, Canada, at the Québec City Convention Centre in the Fall of 2021.

The convention centre is set on Parliament Hill, flanked by excellent hotels and sits just steps from Old Québec. The city is easily accessible by direct flights from the US (Chicago, Newark, Philadelphia, etc.), Europe (London, Paris) and elsewhere in Canada (Montréal, Toronto) with the international airport just 20 minutes by car/public transport from the convention centre.

Québec City is renowned and loved for its European charm, welcoming locals, infectious energy, and of course, for Old Québec - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city boasts one of the highest concentrations of research centres in Canada and the Northeastern United States. A place of knowledge, innovation, and creativity, the city is home to several world-renowned researchers of many disciplines including vaccinology, immunotherapeutics, cancer, infectious diseases, artificial intelligence and many more. Whether from academia, clinical research or pharma and biotech, the comprehensive and vibrant scientific environment will provide an exciting venue to ISV attendees.

The 2021 Congress is co-chaired by Linda Klavinskis and Joon Haeng Rhee along with local co-chair Gary Kobinger (Université Laval). 

Please see some preliminary Congress info below to enthuse you for the upcoming Congress:

· The ISV Annual Congress is the world’s largest non-commercial scientific conference for basic and clinical researchers interested in vaccines and the underlying sciences, with broad coverage of topics related to vaccines and immunotherapies ranging from basic research through manufacturing and clinical trials for human and veterinary vaccines encompassing infectious diseases and cancer.

· The conference provides a platform to exchange ideas through lively discussions led by session chairs and through vibrant interactive poster sessions among the attendees.

· Gender balance of session chairs and speakers as well as balance of the career stage of speakers is strongly supported.

· A further attribute is inclusion of a high percentage of speakers selected from submitted abstracts, in addition to the invited keynote speakers.

· Special efforts are made to help trainees advance their careers with a career development panel discussion, feedback of poster presentations by senior scientists, and ISV’s mentoring program. 

· The ‘Bright Sparks in Vaccinology’ session is where trainees compete for a prestigious award in a friendly, high-energy competitive forum.

· The ISV Annual General Meeting is held as part of the Annual Congress to determine key ISV policies and elect members of the ISV Board. Participation in the ISV is an excellent way to increase your scientific network and visibility. 

· The Congress includes representation from global and regional vaccine groups such as the Korean Vaccine Society (KVS), the Japanese Society of Vaccines (JSV) and the ISV China branch.

· Several awards will be available to support delegates from low- and middle-income countries and junior scientists in vaccine sciences, with further updates to be announced.

Please join us in Québec City, Canada for this exciting meeting to present your work and interact with colleagues.

Please note that ISV members receive a $100 discount from the registration fees.

Sincerely,

2021 Congress Co-Chairs:

Joon Haeng Rhee
Chonnam National University, Korea

Linda Klavinskis

King’s College London, UK

Gary Kobinger (local co-Chair)
Université Laval – Canada