Drexel University College of Medicine is once again pleased to host some of the world's top infectious disease research scientists, including a Nobel Prize winner, during the 2013 International Symposium on Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease. The symposium will take place June 17-21 in the New College Building Geary Auditorium B (15th & Race Streets).

Presentations will highlight ongoing investigations in the areas of cancer biology, malaria vaccine development, bacterial pathogenesis, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis B/C, among other topics.

In addition, Drexel University College of Medicine will award three Drexel Prizes for scientific excellence in immunology, translational research, and infectious disease to eminent scientists who will present their investigations:

• Drexel Prize in Immunology: Rafi Ahmed, PhD, professor and director, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University: "T-Memory and Exhaustion"
• Drexel Prize in Translational Research: Ian Lipkin, MD, John Snow Professor and director, Center for Infection and Immunity; director, Northeast Biodefense Center, Columbia University: "Small Game Hunting"
• Drexel Prize in Infectious Disease: Craig Mello, PhD, Nobel laureate (2006 prize winner in Physiology or Medicine), distinguished professor and HHMI Investigator, University of Massachusetts Medical School: "RNA Interference – Gene Silencing by Double-stranded RNA"

This is the second year for the symposium, which is spearheaded by Brian Wigdahl, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology and director of Drexel University College of Medicine's Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease.

"We are thrilled to once again welcome scientists of this caliber to our campus and also to highlight the scientific accomplishments of our own esteemed faculty and trainees," said Wigdahl. "We are also particularly excited this year to sponsor two workshops in molecular medicine as part of the week's stimulating agenda."

The first workshop, on Monday June 17, focuses on cancer biology. The second, on Friday, June 21 is on NeuroAIDS and is co-sponsored by the Temple/Drexel Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center and the Temple/Penn/Drexel T32 Interdisciplinary and Translational Research Training Program in NeuroAIDS. Both the NeuroAIDS Center and Training Program are funded by the National Institute for Mental Health.

For the full agenda, please visit the Institute's webpage.