The Vaccine Evaluation Group encompasses all aspects of research from initial clinical trials to program assessment. Investigators from the CCfV’s Clinical Trials Research Center (CTRC), an academic-based clinical research organization, provide expertise in the development and implementation of first-in-human phase 1 studies to post-licensure phase 4 trials. The CTRC team collaborates with clinical and molecular epidemiology experts who, with external partners, explore the field effectiveness of the vaccines and their effects on disease burden, vaccine compliance, and public acceptance. This Group’s pivotal role within the Center’s multi-disciplinary approach to vaccine research is evidenced through its interaction with industry, external organizations, and members of the Vaccine Discovery and Health Policy and Translation Groups.
The division of Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, within the Vaccine Evaluation Group, incorporates researchers studying vaccines in the later stages of development with an emphasis on their effects on disease burden. The Clinical Trials Research Center (CTRC), under the direction of Dr. Scott Halperin, includes in its mandate the characterization of the prevention, control, and treatment of infectious diseases. Dr. Todd Hatchette (Director of Virology and Immunology at the QEII Health Sciences Centre) and Dr. Tim Mailman (Director of Clinical Microbiology at the IWK Health Centre) work to understand the epidemiology of respiratory viruses using new molecular tools such as real-time polymerase chain reaction technologies. Dr. Joanne Langley, CCfV Associate Director, is involved in research on nosocomial infections and respiratory infections in children. Dr. Shelly McNeil is also a CCfV researcher and her interests focus on the epidemiology, prevention, and control of infections in adults.