Program
Preliminary Program
Plenary Speakers
Dr Stephan Harbarth
Senior Research Associate, Hospital Epidemiologist and Attending Physician
Department of Internal Medicine
University Hospitals of Geneva
Switzerland
Professor Marc Bonten
Acute Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases
University Medical Center Utrecht.
The Netherlands
Professor Sharon Lewin
Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Alfred Hospital
Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Monash University of Melbourne
Australia
Dr Stephan Harbarth
Stephan Harbarth's research interest is focused on the epidemiology and prevention of antibiotic-resistant, healthcare-associated infections. In particular, his studies on the impact and control of nosocomial MRSA transmission have increased our understanding of the epidemiology of MRSA and improved our ability to combat this microorganism. Other important contributions to the field of antibiotic resistance, which had an impact on policy making, are his research on the adverse effects of prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis after surgery and on the ecologic bias associated with group-level data analyses of antibiotic-use-versus-resistance relationships as well as several well-conducted intervention studies. Complementary research interests include the molecular epidemiology of emerging pathogens such as community-acquired MRSA, the pharmaco-epidemiology of antibiotic use (including international analyses of macro-level determinants of antibiotic overuse), and improved and rapid diagnosis of severe infections in critically ill patients.
Professor Sharon Lewin
Sharon Lewin is Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Alfred Hospital and Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Monash University of Melbourne. The Infectious Diseases Unit at the Alfred Hospital is the largest infectious diseases unit in Australia and incorporates the Victorian HIV Service.
The Alfred Hospital is co-located with the Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research, the largest basic virology institute in Australia, with a primary focus on HIV virology and pathogenesis. Professor Lewin is an infectious disease physician and basic scientist. She did a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr David Ho at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Centre in New York and has broad scientific interests in both HIV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) virology and immunology. She is a member of the HIV subcommittee for the Ministerial Advisory Committee for AIDS, Sexual Health and Hepatitis, the peak advisory body for the Australian government on HIV-related issues.
Sharon's research activities include:
- Immunopathogenesis of HIV, hepatitis B virus and HIV-HBV co-infection
- The mechanism of CD4+ T-cell depletion and the role of naïve and memory CD4+ T-cells in long term HIV persistence
- Understanding the adaptive immune response to HBV and in the setting of HIV-HBV co-infection.