TEDx-style talks: 11AM PST / 2PM EST / 6PM GMT | Q&A: 12PM PST / 3PM EST / 7PM GMT

Revisit the talks and Q&A using the link above, and/or check out the video and bios below.

About the Speakers

Michael Okreeh, PhD

Talk Title: CXCR4 regulates B cell receptor editing and Ig lambda recombination

Michael Okoreeh is from southern California and graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry in 2014. After graduation, Michael spent a year as an NIH sponsored research technician studying immune system development at the University of Chicago. These experiences shaped his passion of research and scientific discovery. Michael is pursuing an MD/PhD degree at the University of Chicago and has recently completed his PhD in Immunology in the lab of Marcus Clark. Michael’s thesis focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms during B cell development that promote self-tolerance and antibody diversification.

Avery D. Posey Jr., PhD

Talk Title: Training the Immune System to Fight Cancer.

Twitter: @IAmDrDex

Avery D. Posey, Jr., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, a member of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and a Research Health Scientist at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center. Dr. Posey holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Chicago, a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and a second B.S. in Bioinformatics from UMBC. Dr. Posey completed postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Carl June, where he generated glycosylation-specific chimeric antigen receptors to precisely target tumor-glycoforms of MUC1. The Posey Laboratory focuses on the development of novel cancer therapies that genetically alter cancer patients’ own T cells to improve the ability of the immune system to fight cancer. This research involves antigen discovery to identify tumor-specific targets, engineering strategies to surmount the tumor microenvironment, and altering the signaling influences of T cells to develop robust anti-tumor efficacy.

Ane Ogbe, PhD

Talk Title: HIV and SARS-COV-2: Assaying my way through 2 pandemic viruses

Twitter: @aneogbe

My research interest is focused on gaining more understanding into the complex and dynamic role of T cells particularly CD4+ T helper cells in the development of immunity to infectious diseases. 

For my Ph.D studies, I furthered the understanding of the role the Egr2/3 genes in immune response. We identified a novel role of these genes as key players in regulating CD4+ Tfh cell differentiation. For the last few years, I have focused more on human immunology where I research on the role of CD4+ Tfh cells as one of the cellular drivers of humoral immune response leading to the induction of broadly neutralising antibodies (bnAbs) in HIV infection. Faced with a pandemic, I have used my knowledge and skillsets in HIV immunology to work on characterising the immunology induced by SARS-COV-2 in natural infection. The insights gained from my work on HIV and SARS-COV-2 immunology is crucial in informing the development of vaccine strategies useful for the rational design of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines.

Azza Gadir, PhD

Talk Title: Microbes and the Immune System: the Invisible Connection to Reversing Food Allergies

Twitter: @AzzaGadir

Dr. Azza Gadir grew up in London and received an MSc in the Immunology of Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and her PhD in Immunology from University College London. Dr. Gadir completed her postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Professor Talal Chatila at Boston Children’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School, where her published research focused on the immunological mechanisms that underlie the role of the gut microbiome in conferring protection against diseases early in life. For this work, she holds issued and pending patents and has collaborated with industry partners to accelerate the discovery of microbiome-related immunotherapies for food allergy.

Dr. Gadir currently serves as the Director of Research and Development at Seed Health, a venture-backed microbiome company that accelerates breakthrough science into live biotherapeutics or microbial products that target pervasive, unmet medical needs. The current pipeline includes interventions for infectious disease, allergy, and inflammatory conditions across various body sites and windows of development.