2016 Webinar: New Concepts and Insights Into HBV Immunology

Product not yet rated

Recorded On: 10/11/2016

  • Registration Closed

This webinar will review the current state of the understanding of the immune response to hepatitis b (HBV). Two experts and one moderator will guide providers through an understanding of the HBV immune interactions that can help providers understand and help explain HBV infections, guide patient management and help embrace new therapies.

Rachel Church (Moderator)

Rachel Church, PhD is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics within the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She also serves as the Director of UNC Organ Injury Biomarker Core that is part of UNC’s Institute for Drug Safety Sciences. Dr. Church received her B.S. degree from North Carolina State University and her Ph.D. from UNC Chapel Hill. Given the shortcomings of traditional measurements, the research of Dr Church aims to broaden the use and understanding of candidate biomarkers of organ injury, with a primary focus on clinical drug-induced liver injury. Dr. Church is also interested in identifying novel applications for traditional biomarkers that will improve their interpretation. Prior to joining UNC, Dr. Church was a Research Investigator at the Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences. 

Antonio Bertoletti

Dr. Antonio Bertoletti is an expert in the field of viral hepatitis, with a specific interest in the immunopathogenesis of HBV infection. He began working in viral hepatitis as a medical student at the University of Parma (Italy). He continued his research work at the Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla) characterizing for the first time the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) specific cytotoxic T cell response in man. He returned to the University of Parma, where he worked in the Department of Infectious Diseases as a Clinical Scientist and then worked at the University College of London (UK) (1997-2006) before moving to Singapore where he is now Professor at the Emerging Viral Disease Program at Duke-NUS Medical School. His current research is focus on the development of new immunological based therapies (TCR-redirected T cells, HLA-peptide specific antibodies) for the treatment of HBV and HBV-related HCC.

Kyong-Mi Chang

Kyong-Mi Chang, MD is Professor of Medicine in GI/Hepatology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, with administrative leadership role as the Chief of Staff and Associate Dean for Research at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia PA.

Dr. Chang is a translational investigator with expertise in immune pathogenesis of human viral hepatitis B and C. Dr. Chang received M.D. and Internal Medicine residency training from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, GI fellowship training at the University of California San Diego and postdoctoral research training in viral immune pathogenesis at the Scripps Research Institute. Since the mid 90’s, Dr. Chang has examined distinct patient cohorts using state-of-the-art immunological methods and novel tools to identify immune and viral mechanisms of liver disease pathogenesis in patients with acute and chronic hepatitis B or C. Chang lab was the first to apply high dimensional imaging mass cytometry visualization of HBV-infected liver tissues, identifying close correlations between innate and adaptive immune parameters with hepatocellular injury and fibrosis. Dr. Chang has also been examining genetic underpinnings of metabolic liver disease in the VA’s Million Veteran Program (MVP). Finally, Dr. Chang has been a member of the AASLD for over 2 decades, serving in various committees and meetings--currently as Chair of HBV SIG Basic Science Subcommittee. 

Components visible upon registration.