Anteneh Desalegn is a researcher in PharmaSafe and is the Principal Investigator at the University of Oslo (UiO) for several studies, including some linked to the Vac4EU network. Funded by UiO:Life Science, Anteneh spent several productive days at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and attended the Annual International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) meeting in Washington, DC. This visit have Anteneh a chance to meet physically with collaborators around the world, as well as develop his training in vaccine safety studies.
Anteneh's visit had multiple objectives, including developing and discussing planned collaborative projects, planning future research opportunities, and participating in the prominent ISPE annual meeting, focusing on the latest in pharmacoepidemiology, particularly concerning COVID-19 vaccines.
Key Takeaways: At the ISPE meeting, Anteneh participated in presentations of the results of some of our collaborative studies, including Post-authorization Safety Studies (PASS) coordinated by the VAC4EU network. This included presentations of their work on:
-
Safety of the mRNA-1273 vaccine during pregnancy.
-
Safety the mRNA-1273 vaccine in the general population across Denmark, Norway, Spain, and the UK.
-
Clinical outcomes of myocarditis/pericarditis and the associated risk factors, highlighting findings from EMA-mandated studies.
Additionally, Anteneh attended pre-conference courses that deepened his knowledge in vaccine safety and effectiveness. This research visit was made possible by funding from UiO:Life Science.
We are also proud to announce that our senior researcher, Marleen van Gelder, was honored with Fellow status in the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (FISPE). This prestigious recognition underscores her scholarly contributions, dedicated service to the ISPE, and leadership in the field.
Anteneh's visit to Johns Hopkins and participation in the ISPE annual meeting have not only broadened his research perspectives but also strengthened our collaborative networks for advancing vaccine safety research. We eagerly look forward to implementing insights gained from this visit in our ongoing and future studies within the Vac4EU network.