Maternal and neonatal vaccination

The course offers a comprehensive overview of the scientific and public health principles underlying immunization strategies for pregnant women and infants. It is designed to equip Master and PhD students with a deep understanding of the current challenges and opportunities in the field, with a focus on global health.

The program brings experts from European and African institutions together, fostering a collaborative, multidisciplinary learning environment. Through a combination of theoretical and practical approaches, students will enhance their critical thinking and research skills, gaining insights into the latest developments in vaccine research, clinical implementation, and public health policy.

The course is a blend of virtual sessions and a hands-on physical component in Johannesburg, South Africa, offering participants a unique, real-world perspective on vaccination efforts in regions with high disease burden.

• Burden of disease and public health
• Vaccination platforms for pregnant women and young infants
• Immunobiology of maternal and neonatal vaccination
• Clinical trial design and implementation
• Safety and ethics of maternal and infant vaccination
• Communicating about maternal and infant vaccination and vaccine confidence

During this course, the students will:

• develop both theoretical and practical expertise in maternal and neonatal vaccination, with a focus on identifying key research gaps in the field;
• gain a critical understanding of current evidence, equipping them to apply this knowledge to their own research activities;
• broaden their perspective on the opportunities and challenges in the field through multidisciplinary training led by experts from Europe and Africa;
• strengthen their ability to synthesize complex information by producing well-structured essays;
• enhance their presentation skills, deepen their critical understanding of scientific evidence, and improve their ability to conceive, design, and conduct research through interactive masterclasses.

The physical mobility part is scheduled between 21-25 July 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. It involves theoretical and practical training on the six thematic modules which are covered during the virtual component of the program. Masterclasses and practical training will allow the students to use the theoretical notions that they will have learned in the virtual components and further engage in the conception, design and conduct of research in maternal and neonatal vaccination.

The virtual part will take place between 3 March - 30 May 2025 and covers six thematic modules of the program.

Each session will involve reading of preparatory material and identification of a question or key issue by the students, one expert giving a lecture and addressing the questions and issues identified by the students, an interactive component assessing the student’s understanding and perception of the topic, and the writing of a brief assay summarizing the learning experience.

This structure will guide the students through a learning trajectory starting with active identification of questions and issues to synthesis of evidence and knowledge gaps. 

The six thematic modules are:

1. Burden of disease and public health (03.03.2025 & 10.03.2025)
2. Vaccination platforms for pregnant women and young infants (17.03.2025 & 24.03.2025)
3. Immunobiology of maternal and neonatal vaccination (31.03.2025 & 07.04.2025)
4. Clinical trial design and implementation (14.04.2025 & 28.04.2025)
5. Safety and ethics of maternal and infant vaccination (05.05.2025 & 12.05.2025)
6. Communicating about maternal and infant vaccination and vaccine confidence (19.05.2025 & 26.05.2025).

These six modules will be covered during twelve 2-hour online sessions (organized weekly) and require an estimated 9 hours of homework per module. The student’s time investment for this virtual part therefore totals 24 hours of on-line sessions and 54 hours of homework.

Students will be assessed by at least two experts of the participating institutions on the quality of:

• the short essays that they will write during the virtual component and on the longer essay written after the physical component;
• their presentation at the physical component masterclass.

Motivation Letter

Level of english (According to CEFR)

CV

Applications will be evaluated based on the interest expressed in their motivation letter. Students are invited to explain in detail why they want to follow this course, why they think the course content is important, and what specific themes of the course will help them in their career paths.

Arnaud Marchant, MD, PhD, is Director of the European Plotkin Institute for Vaccinology at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), a joint initiative with the University of Antwerp to accelerate the evaluation of vaccines for pandemic and endemic pathogens. He has more than 20 years’ experience in infectious disease and vaccine immunology and worked at the Medical Research Council Laboratories, The Gambia, and at the Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine, Oxford. His main research interest is infectious diseases in vulnerable populations and his activities are integrated in international networks, with support from the European Commission, the CEPI, HERA and the US NIH. He is teaching vaccinology in national and internal courses.

Clare Cutland, MBBCh, DCH, PhD, is the Scientific Coordinator of the African Leadership in Vaccinology Expertise (Wits-Alive). She coordinates the Masters of Science (Med) in the field of vaccinology degree and a biennial short course in vaccinology (Afro-ADVAC) at The University of the Witwatersrand. She has extensive experience as a clinical trialist, having conducted many vaccine trials and studies in South Africa, especially focused on maternal and infant immunisation. She has contributed to assessment of vaccine safety through her involvement in the Brighton collaboration, GAIA definition development and field-testing, and active vaccine safety surveillance studies. She has co-authored >150 peer-reviewed journal articles and a book chapter.

Vana Papaevangelou, MD, PhD, is a distinguished pediatrician and infectious disease expert from Greece. She is a professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and serves as the director of the 3rd Pediatric Clinic at the Attikon University Hospital. She has been a prominent figure in Greece's COVID-19 response, particularly as a member of the Health Ministry’s committee of experts. Throughout the pandemic, she has been active in advising on vaccination campaigns, especially emphasizing the safety and efficacy of vaccines for children and addressing concerns related to complications such as myocarditis​.

Lavinia Ruta, PhD, is a lecturer at the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Chemistry, with dual expertise in pharmacy and chemistry. Her research primarily focuses on applied biochemistry and molecular biology, particularly on understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern yeast cells' response to environmental stress. Her research also delves into the pro-oxidant and antioxidant activities of organic compounds. Furthermore, she is involved in a project on wound healing and monitoring using smart hydrogels. Beyond her scientific research, she participates in social projects that examine the pharmacological and toxicological aspects of recreational drug use among young people.

Luminita Marutescu, PhD, is Associate Professor at University of Bucharest, Faculty of Biology, vice-president of Romanian Association of Cytometry (2017-present), member of the CIVIS Hub1 Educator team. She participated in 29 national and 4 EU projects investigating antimicrobial resistance. Her work on the duration of SARS-CoV-2 humoral and cellular immunity induced by vaccination or after natural infection supported the idea that head and neck cancer patients are immunologically competent to mount immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection.