IAEA Scientific Forum 2021

Preparing for Zoonotic Outbreaks: the Role of Nuclear Science

21–22 September 2021
IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria

PROGRAMME

Due to uncertainties related to the global COVID-19 situation, the Scientific Forum will be organized as a hybrid event with both physical and virtual participation. Some speakers will address the Scientific Forum via video link or with a recorded message.

Moderator: Ms Claire Doole

TUESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2021

9:30-11:30     Opening Session (Video →)

Opening statement by Mr Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, IAEA

One Health organizations:
Mr Qu Dongyu, Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 
Mr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organization (WHO)
Ms Monique Eloit, Director General, World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) 

Keynote speakers:
Ms Jane Goodall, Founder - the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace
Mr Christian Happi, Director of ACEGID, African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID)

High level speakers:
HE Mr Khalid Ait Taleb, Minister of Health of Morocco 
HE Ms Ermira Gjeci, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania
HE Ms Karen Najarro, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Honduras
Mr Amadou Alpha Sall, Director of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal

11:30-13:00     Lunch Break

13:00-13:30     Session 1: Techniques for Detecting Pathogens and Monitoring Zoonoses (Video →)

Mr Nischay Mishra, Professor, Epidemiology (In the Center for Infection and Immunity) at the Columbia University Medical Center, United States of America

- The innovative tools available to mine the interface of animals, people and the environment to solve complex problems that impact health and conservation around the world

Mr Markus Keller, Laboratory Director, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, FLI, Germany

- The role of research for the early detection of novel pathogens and their progress towards disease

13:30-14:00     Session 2:  Understanding the Emergence of Infectious Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface (Video →)

Ms Christine Middlemiss, UK Chief Veterinary Officer, United Kingdom

- How to react to a Zoonotic Disease Outbreak; identifying emerging and re-emerging zoonoses and when to react

Ms Marietjie Venter, Professor, Department of Medical Virology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa

- The contribution and role(s) of the ecosystem, animals and humans in a true one-health response to zoonotic outbreaks. Did we learn from the past?

14:00-14:30     Session 3:  The Role of Radiation Techniques in Dealing with the Impact of Zoonoses on Human Health  (Video →)

Ms Dina Husseiny Salama, Head of Radiology Department, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt

- Role of medical imaging and radiomics in the management of zoonotic diseases

Mr Georg Langs, Head of the Computational Imaging Research Lab, Medical University of Vienna, Austria

- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Medical Imaging as enabler for early and effective response

14:30-15:30     Coffee Break

15:30-17:00     Session 4:  From Avian Flu to COVID-19 – the IAEA's Support to Countries  (Video →)

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1

Ms Shalala Zeynalova, Director, BSL-3 Central Reference Laboratory, Ministry of Agriculture, Azerbaijan

- Responding to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1: the case of Azerbaijan

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-MERS

Mr Nobert Nowotny, Professor, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria

- How the IAEA supported the Middle East region to address Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-MERS

Ebola

Mr Abel Wade, Director General of Laboratoire National Veterinaire (LANAVET), Cameroon

- Early detection and identification of the Ebola virus: the Cameroonian experience

COVID-19

Ms Samantha Letsholo, Principal Veterinary Officer and Head of Virology Section at Botswana National Veterinary Laboratory, Botswana

- Building capacity to respond to COVID-19 in Botswana

Ms Ana Maria Nicola, Director of Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASA) Vet Lab, Direccion General de Laboratorios y Control Tecnico, Argentina

- Combatting COVID-19: detection, diagnosis and management

WEDNESDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2021

9:00-11:00     Session 5 and Closing: Enhancing Global Preparedness to Control Zoonotic Diseases: ZODIAC  (Video →)

Mr Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, IAEA

HE Mr Ghislain D'hoop, Resident Representative of Belgium

HE Mr Xavier Sticker, Resident Representative of France

HE Mr Takeshi Hikihara, Resident Representative of Japan

HE Mr Luis L. Bono, Charge d’affaires a.i. of the United States of America

Mr Serge Morand, Expert in the Knowledge Management Body, Eklipse initiative by the European Commission

Mr Thomas Mettenleiter, Co-Chair, One Health High-Level Expert Panel

Mr Pierre Dussort, Operational Manager, PREZODE

Mr Christian Happi, Director of ACEGID, African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID)