Subject: Global Nexus | Taskforce Update | Issue 1

Taskforce Update | Issue #1 | December 2021

Preventing the Next Pandemic

Seizing the opportunity sparked by COVID-19, we are a nexus that brings together academics, decision-makers, system leaders, businesses, and communities as we develop and deploy relevant and timely solutions to prevent, prepare for, and protect against major public health threats.

The Global Nexus is composed of four key task forces. This newsletter serves to highlight

the activities of these important discovery

groups. They are:

Recent Task Force Highlights

Made-at-McMaster COVID-19 Vaccines.

At the Global Nexus, researchers are developing and manufacturing two new second-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidates designed to provide broader immunity and help protect against emerging COVID-19 variants. It was announced earlier this month that Health Canada had approved these vaccines for human trials.

Read more here.

Studying COVID-19 in Long-Term Care.

We are leading one of the largest single studies on long-term care homes in Canada. The study, which involves more than 2,000 residents, staff, and visitors at long-term care homes, seeks to determine how well vaccination works in residents and whether their previous exposure to the virus can protect them or make them vulnerable to further infection.

Read more here.

Finding New Antibiotics.

Streptomyces bacteria are best known for their ability to produce a wide range of bioactive compounds, including antifungals, anticancer drugs, and over 70% of the antibiotics in clinical use today. At the Global Nexus, we are developing ways to exploit the antibiotic-producing abilities of Streptomyces, which could lead to entirely new antibiotics and other natural products of medicinal value.

Read more here.

Indigenous Self-Determination During the Pandemic.

Global Nexus scholars recently examined Indigenous experiences throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and concluded that Indigenous self-determination has been essential for protecting communities from the dangers of this disease. It was noted that the capacity and skill of Indigenous people to be self-determining should be embraced in perpetuity, not only in times of pandemic.

Read more here.

Want to get involved?

Connect with our Taskforce Chairs:

Our taskforces are co-led by:

✉️ Chandrima Chakraborty, English & Cultural Studies

✉️ John Lavis, Health, Research Methods, Evidence & Impact

✉️ Dawn Bowdish, Medicine

Enabled by Strong Partnerships

Canada's Global Nexus for Pandemics and Biological Threats is orbited by system of institutional and national-level partners. These partners enable our taskforces to conduct important research across a range of priority issue areas.