Meeting to discuss reactivation of the Consortium for the Standardization of Influenza Seroepidemiology
Zoom recordings:
After verification, you may click the file name to play video in browser or click Download to save the file.
Go to verify
Date and time: Tuesday 7 Nov 2023, 9:15am to 5pm
Location: Seminar Rooms 2&3, G/F Laboratory Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam
Overview of CONSISE
CONSISE is a scientific consortium established in the wake of the 2009 influenza pandemic to develop best practices and standardize seasonal and pandemic influenza seroepidemiological methods.
Between 2011 and 2016 there were two very active and closely-linked working groups:
- Working Group 1 - Epidemiology - which was led by Maria Van Kerkhove, and focused on improving study design and to a lesser extent analytic approaches for seroepidemiological studies.
- Working Group 2 - Laboratory - which was co-led by Othmar Engelhardt and John Wood, and focused on standardization of laboratory methods (including HAI, NAI, MN)
A number of international CONSISE meetings were held, including in:
- Ottawa in January 2011
- Stockholm in December 2011
- Hong Kong in January 2013
- Cape Town in September 2013
- Washington DC in September 2014 (laboratory working group)
- Paris in January 2016 (epidemiology working group)
This will be the first in-person meeting of the consortium since 2016, open to all interested individuals, and our aims in this meeting are to discuss how CONSISE could work to strengthen seroepidemiologic studies both in terms of design and analysis, and to identify some immediate opportunities for consortium projects in this area. We will also discuss the potential for the scope of CONSISE to expand to include SARS CoV 2.
Agenda outline
- 09:15 - 09:30
Introductions and meeting objectives - Ben Cowling
- 09:30 – 10:30
Review of past work and discussion
CONSISE - Maria Van Kerkhove
UNITY - Isabel Bergeri - 10:30 – 11:00
BREAK (refreshments provided)
- 11:00 – 12:30
EPI-FOCUSED SESSION
Short presentations:
Experiences with COVID seroepidemiology in the US - Jefferson Jones
Experiences with COVID seroepidemiology in Africa - Cheryl Cohen
Experiences with H5N6 seroepidemiology in China - Yang Wang
Discussion on experiences with influenza and COVID seroepidemiology and knowledge gaps, opportunities for CONSISE - 12:30 – 14:00
LUNCH (lunch boxes provided)
- 14:00 – 14:15
Recap of morning session - Ben Cowling
- 14:15 – 15:30
LAB-FOCUSED SESSION
Reflections on CONSISE, FLUCOP, and an overview of influenza assays and needs for further standardization - Othmar Engelhardt
Short presentations:
Gaps and opportunities for influenza and COVID assays - Emanuele Montomoli, Min Levine
Discussion of standardization of laboratory assays, use of different specimen types, priorities
- 15:30 – 16:00
BREAK (refreshments provided)
- 16:00 – 17:00
Discussion of next steps for CONSISE - All
Potential discussion topics:
Management structure of CONSISE
Immediate tasks and areas of focus
Timeline for future meetings
Additional information
Transport by coach will be provided to/from the meeting venue and Harbour Grand Hotel
Lunch will be provided
There is no registration fee