LKSIoV Experts Lending their Knowledge on National COVID-19 Task Forces
The Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology is proud to announce that three of its members are serving on national COVID-19 task forces. Although each has its own objective, the task forces are focused on ensuring Canadians have access to safe and effective therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19, once these become available.
Dr. Matthias Götte
A Professor and Chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Alberta, is a member of the National COVID-19 Therapeutics Task Force. Results from his laboratory have contributed to the development of novel classes of viral polymerase inhibitors. His team elucidated the mechanism of action of the investigational drug remdesivir that is now used in several countries to treat COVID-19 patients with severe disease. Dr. Götte has published approximately 130 peer-reviewed papers in the field of virology and antivirals.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Therapeutics Task Force
Dr. Jutta Preiksaitis
A Professor Emerita in the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta, sits on the National COVID-19 Immunity Task Force. A virologist and transplant infectious diseases (TxID) physician, Dr. Preiksaitis developed and led the first Canadian TxID service at the University of Alberta Hospitals and the first TxID Community of Practice of the American Society of Transplantation. Dr. Preiksaitis was the Medical Director of Alberta’s Provincial Public Health Laboratory (2000-2009) during the SARS, West Nile virus and H1N1 influenza epidemics and participated in Canadian modeling of disease burden associated with hepatitis C virus and transfusion-transmitted infection related to emerging pathogens. She is an author of over 150 peer reviewed publications.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force
Dr. D. Lorne Tyrrell
A member of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, is the Founding Director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology at the University of Alberta. He is also a Distinguished University Professor and a faculty member of the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology. He has focussed his research since 1986 on viral hepatitis. His work on the development of antiviral therapy was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Glaxo Canada. It resulted in the licensing of the first oral antiviral agent to treat chronic hepatitis B infection – lamivudine – in 1998. Today, lamivudine is licensed in over 200 countries worldwide for the treatment of HBV. Currently, Dr. Tyrrell and his team are focused on COVID-19 related research. He has published over 230 peer-reviewed articles.