Dancing with Elephants: Vaccines Made in Plants

Brian Ward, MD, PhD
Professor
Department of Medicine
McGill University 
Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Glen site

This conference is hosted by Woong-Kyung Suh, PhD . This conference is part of the 2024-2025 IRCM conference calendar.

About this conference
The science behind plant-made vaccines will be described in the context of the academic-industry collaborations that led to Medicago’s successful licensure of the world’s first human vaccine made in plants in February 2022 (Covifenz™ targeting SARS-COV-2). The benefits and risks of such collaborations will be discussed including the on-going rebirth of the plant-based platform as Aramis Biotechnologies.

About Brian Ward
Dr. Ward received training in internal medicine, infectious diseases, tropical medicine and microbiology at McGill, Oxford, University of London and Johns Hopkins. He has been at McGill since 1990, where he is currently professor of Infectious Diseases. His lab’s primary focus is the development & evaluation of novel vaccines, and he has contributed to >310 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Over the years, he has worked closely with vaccine manufacturers, including serving as medical officer for Medicago which led to licensure of the world’s first vaccine produced in plants. He is currently chief medical officer for Medicago’s successor, Aramis Biotechnologies Inc. He has received multiple honours/awards including a Rhodes scholarship (1977), US Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award (2003) and the Quebec Innovation Prize (2020). He is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

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