Childhood vaccines the focus of new research chair

Halifax, NS – Dr. Joanne Langley is the recipient of the new CIHR-GSK Chair in Pediatric Vaccinology. Dr. Langley is a professor at Dalhousie University, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at IWK Health Centre, and director of the Clinical Evaluation Group at the Canadian Center for Vaccinology in Halifax. The chair will provide funding to support Dr. Langley’s work in the development and improvement of vaccines for children, including the way vaccines are administered. Her research will also look at immunization strategies for preventing influenza and other respiratory problems in children.

The new chair is supported by a $700,000 in funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

“Canada is fortunate to have a strong community of internationally recognized infectious disease researchers, such as Dr. Langley, who are truly putting patients first,” says Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of CIHR. “This additional investment in the research of Dr. Langley and her team will ensure Canadian children and their families continue to receive safe and effective vaccines to prevent infections.”