News

Pandemic and public health experts came together at the APPRISE Annual meeting to launch a new network, a platform and pandemic research initiatives.

Highlights included:

• the launch of First Nations Pandemic Research Preparedness Network (FIRST), the first of its type in Australia to be led by First Nations people to ensure a First Nations perspective on research and infectious disease preparedness
• the launch of APPRISE Virtual Biobank for Infectious Diseases, a platform providing access to human samples for pandemic and outbreak research
• updates on the APPRISE programs for long COVID and antivirals research

Attending the meeting held in November were First Nations researchers and public health practitioners, pandemic researchers and collaborators with a range disciplinary expertise and Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer of Australia.

A highlight was the panel discussion chaired by Professor Jodie McVernon – “What is the future for research preparedness and APPRISE?”, with panel participants Professor Paul Kelly, Professor Tania Sorrell, Professor Julie Leask, Ms Kristy Crooks, Professor Allen Cheng (see video below).

Professor Kelly told the audience about the early stages of the COVID pandemic when the research and policy perspectives were brought together to explore actions needed to respond to the evolving situation.

“Whatever we can do beforehand we should do, but I think that comes down to platforms, trust, to networks, all those things that APPRISE was set up to do…Having the systems set up so that you can respond to the thing that’s in front of you at the time. Because it’s not going to be the same next time. We all know that.”

This article was first published by APPRISE