Washington DC, Dec. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) is pleased to announce the Board of Trustees has unanimously elected Regina Rabinovich, MD, MPH, as board chair and elected two new trustees, Dr. Norman Baylor and Dr. JoAnn Suzich, to strengthen the organization’s leadership in global immunization and vaccine research and development. Dr. Rabinovich has served on the board since November 2015, and as chair of the Governance Committee since 2016.Dr. Rabinovich brings deep global health expertise to the role, with more than three decades of experience in the health and philanthropic sectors. She is currently the ExxonMobil Malaria Scholar in Residence at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. In addition, Dr. Rabinovich is chair of the Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance at ISGlobal, University of Barcelona, where she also serves as director of the Malaria Elimination Initiative.Previously, Dr. Rabinovich spent nearly a decade as director of the infectious diseases division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, overseeing the product development and implementation of strategies to prevent and control infectious diseases. She also held senior positions at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and served as director of the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative.Dr. Rabinovich takes on the role of board chair from Axel Hoos, MD, who has been a member of the board since 2006 and has served as chair since January 2014.In his six years as board chair, Dr. Hoos led Sabin through a significant and successful transition, with recruitment of new executive leadership, and development and execution of a new strategy that has resulted in the growth of Sabin’s team, funding and programs, including the successful relaunch of Sabin’s vaccine research and development program. Dr. Hoos is senior vice president, R&D governance chair and therapeutic area head for Oncology at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Dr. Hoos continues to serve on the board as a trustee, re-elected alongside Wendy Commins Holman, CEO and founder of Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, who joined the board in 2017.“I am honored to have served Sabin as chair during a time of great change and growth,” said Dr. Hoos. “I am proud of what Sabin has achieved during my tenure and am confident in the future of the organization under Gina’s capable leadership.”“I speak for the entire board in thanking Axel for his vision and dedication to Sabin,” said Dr. Rabinovich. “His leadership has been invaluable in establishing a firm foundation to build upon as we move forward into the organization’s next phase. As desperately needed COVID-19 vaccines become a reality, the Sabin team looks forward to taking an active role in ensuring equity in the global rollout of these vaccines and continuing our work to prevent future pandemics.”Joining the board as trustees are vaccine research and development veterans Norman Baylor, PhD, and JoAnn Suzich, PhD, whose expertise will strengthen Sabin as a non-profit organization developing vaccines against diseases that impact populations in low- and middle-income settings. Dr. Norman Baylor is President and CEO of Biologics Consulting Group, Inc. Prior to this, he spent more than 20 years at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most recently as Director of the Office of Vaccines Research and Review in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Dr. Baylor’s expertise in the development and licensure of new vaccines will be valuable to Sabin as the organization’s vaccine research and development program advances novel vaccines into clinical trials.“I am honored to join the Sabin board to help advance the vaccines currently being developed and identify new vaccine development opportunities,” said Dr. Baylor. “The present moment has made it abundantly clear how vital vaccines are for our global health, and I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to research-based interventions as a part of the Sabin team.”Dr. JoAnn Suzich brings more than 30 years of experience in infectious diseases and vaccine research to Sabin, with a focus on translating science into global solutions for patient care. Dr. Suzich currently serves as head of research at Immunocore after an impressive career at AstraZeneca/MedImmune, where she started her career as a scientist and was elevated to vice president and then therapeutic head before retiring last year. “As a patient-focused scientist, I am excited to join an organization that works on behalf of people in low-income settings worldwide, including close collaboration with Sabin’s vaccine development team. I look forward to helping Sabin realize its mission of making vaccines accessible to everyone, everywhere,” Suzich commented.Baylor and Suzich join Hoos and Rabinovich, CEO Amy Finan, Elizabeth Fox, Wendy Commins Holman, Jeffrey P. Libson, Saad Omer, David Salisbury, Jaqueline Shea and Peter L. Thoren as Sabin Board Trustees. Learn more at www.sabin.org/board-trustees. About the Sabin Vaccine Institute The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. Unlocking the potential of vaccines through partnership, Sabin has built a robust ecosystem of funders, innovators, implementers, practitioners, policy makers and public stakeholders to advance its vision of a future free from preventable diseases. As a non-profit with more than two decades of experience, Sabin is committed to finding solutions that last and extending the full benefits of vaccines to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Sabin, we believe in the power of vaccines to change the world. For more information, visit www.sabin.org and follow us on Twitter, @SabinVaccine. About Norman Baylor, PhDDr. Norman W. Baylor is an expert in the development and licensure of new vaccines, evaluating numerous vaccines throughout his career including vaccines for acellular pertussis, varicella, pneumococcal conjugate, human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza and shingles. He is currently the president and CEO of Biologics Consulting Group, Inc, where he is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the company. Prior to this, he spent 20 years at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most recently as Director of the Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR) in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). In this role, he oversaw all facets of the clinical and product regulatory review activity, including quality assurance and oversight of review functions in addition to planning, developing and administering CBER’s broad national and international programs and operational activities for vaccines and related products. Dr. Baylor served as FDA’s liaison to CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Vaccine Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines. He served on the board of the Infectious Disease Research Institute and continues to serve as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization on several global vaccine initiatives. Dr. Baylor received his bachelor’s degree in medical microbiology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and his master’s degree and doctorate in microbial genetics and molecular microbiology, respectively, from the University of Kentucky. About JoAnn Suzich, PhDDr. JoAnn Suzich is an influential biotechnology leader with real-world experience translating science into global solutions for patient care with a focus on developing vaccines and antibodies against many of the deadly and debilitating viruses. Her work has played a critical role in the advancement and treatment of health issues affecting women and children. She currently serves as Head of Research at Immunocore after an impressive career at AstraZeneca/MedImmune where she started as a bench scientist and was elevated to Vice President and then Therapeutic Head before retiring in 2019. During her tenure as Vice President for Research & Development at MedImmune, she was responsible for research on novel vaccines, as well as overseeing the company’s research in the development of antibodies and antibody-like molecules for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases including RSV, influenza, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. As Research Director, Dr. Suzich managed the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine program from its inception to out-licensing following Phase 1 clinical trials. She also serves as an advisor for organizations such as the Human Vaccines Project and the Global Women’s Health Institute at Purdue University. Dr. Suzich earned a doctorate in biochemistry from Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Susquehanna University, where she now serves on the Board of Trustees. CONTACT: Mary Beth Woodin Sabin Vaccine Institute +1 (202) 662-1841 press@sabin.org
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The body of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei — who died after being set on fire by her partner in Kenya — was received Friday by family and anti-femicide crusaders, ahead of her burial a day later.
Cheptegei’s family met with dozens of activists Friday who had marched to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s morgue in the western city of Eldoret while chanting anti-femicide slogans.
She is the fourth female athlete to have been killed by her partner in Kenya in yet another case of gender-based violence in recent years.
Viola Cheptoo, the founder of Tirop Angels – an organization that was formed in honor of athlete Agnes Tirop, who was stabbed to death in 2021, said stakeholders need to ensure this is the last death of an athlete due to gender-based violence.
“We are here to say that enough is enough, we are tired of burying our sisters due to GBV,” she said.
It was a somber mood at the morgue as athletes and family members viewed Cheptegei’s body which sustained 80% of burns after she was doused with gasoline by her partner Dickson Ndiema. Ndiema sustained 30% burns on his body and later succumbed.
Ndiema and Cheptegei were said to have quarreled over a piece of land that the athlete bought in Kenya, according to a report filed by the local chief.
Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month before the attack. She finished in 44th place.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph, said that the body will make a brief stop at their home in the Endebess area before proceeding to Bukwo in eastern Uganda for a night vigil and burial on Saturday.
“We are in the final part of giving my daughter the last respect,” a visibly distraught Joseph said.
He told reporters last week that Ndiema was stalking and threatening Cheptegei and the family had informed police.
Four in 10 women or an estimated 41% of dating or married Kenyan women have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by their current or most recent partner, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rare Bronze-Era jar accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old visiting a museum was back on display Wednesday after restoration experts were able to carefully piece the artifact back together.
Last month, a family from northern Israel was visiting the museum when their youngest son tipped over the jar, which smashed into pieces.
Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.
The jar has been on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for 35 years. It was one of the only containers of its size and from that period still complete when it was discovered.
The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.
It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the moment, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
Rivlin added that the incident provided a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza. “Well, he’s just a kid. So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world,“ said Rivlin.
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.
Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to painstakingly reconstruct the large jar.
Less than two weeks after it broke, the jar went back on display at the museum. The gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few pieces are missing, but the jar’s impressive size remains.
The only noticeable difference in the exhibit was a new sign reading “please don’t touch.”
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province.
Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussions with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.”
Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public.
“So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview.
B.C. government data show conservation officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year.
Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommendations by next spring, while an independent oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservation officers to provide advice to the government.
Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservation officers “have the trust of the communities they serve,” and the panel will make recommendations to enhance officer training and improve policies.
Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades.
“This move demonstrates the government is listening,” said Fox. “I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentially a little sharper than they normally are.”
Fox said the partnership came from “a place of long frustration” as provincial conservation officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.”
“I think that the conservation officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox.
Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnership, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through.
“I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
