Monthly Update, July 2023

Welcome to the July 2023 VALIDATE Monthly Update (the first one we have put on the website. We have recently hosted two informative seminars that you can now watch online. Additionally, you can still register for our workshop aimed at improving your English skills, and you can support VALIDATE PhD students who will be showcasing their research.
Past VALIDATE Events
VALIDATE recently hosted two interesting seminars covering different approaches to TB vaccines. You can watch the seminars on our YouTube Channel.
Development of recombinant BCG Vaccine for tuberculosis utilizing Major Membrane Protein-II (MMP-II) antigen
Dr Yumiko Tsikamoto discussed her innovative research on a recombinant BCG vaccine against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, featuring MTB-derived MMP-II and depleted UreC gene.
Spore-FP1 mucosal vaccine candidate for TB
Rajko Reljic and Emil Vergara from St George's, University of London discussed the development and potential of a Spore-FP1 vaccine for TB.

Upcoming VALIDATE Events

VALIDATE Workshop - Resources & Strategies for Improving your English – 15:00BST, 26 July 2023
We have a small number of spots left for our workshop helping our members improve English language skills. Organised in partnership with the Language Centre at the University of Oxford, the "Resources & Strategies for Improving English" workshop aims to provide members with essential tips and resources to enhance their written and spoken English.
Register today - www.validate-network.org/event/resources-strategies-for-english

Fundamentals of Flow Cytometry – Sold out (join the waiting list) - 09:30 BST, 9 & 10 August 2023
We have once again partnered with the Scottish Society of Cytomics to deliver training in Flow Cytometry. Unfortunately, we were oversubscribed withing 24 hours. VALIDATE members can still sign up the for waiting list and we will be in touch when we arrange a follow up workshop.
Join the waiting list - www.validate-network.org/event/flow-cytometry-workshop

VALIDATE PhD Showcase - 15:00 BST 12 September 2023
Come along and support you fellow VALIDATE members who will be presenting as part of the VALIDATE PhD Showcase. PhD Students will deliver quick-fire presentations from an area of their research in just 8 minutes, followed by 2 minutes for questions. Come along and ask some challenging questions and help PhD students learn some valuable presenter skills.
Find out more about and register - www.validate-network.org/event/phd-showcase


Training Grants Round 15 Now Open
VALIDATE's 15th round of Training Grants is now open! Early Career Researcher Associate ,embers can boost their professional development with grants up to £3,500.
These grants support training opportunities like courses, workshops, and lab exchanges. Don't miss out on this fantastic chance to advance your career and expand your knowledge.
Find out more and apply - www.validate-network.org/training-grants

External Opportunities
Funding
- NIH Global Infectious Disease Research Training Grants (GID) - addresses research training needs related to infectious diseases that are predominantly endemic in LMICs - deadline 3 August 2023
- Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund - Grant supporting research costs and travel between Cambridge and Africa - deadline 4 September 2023
- ESCMID Individual Research Grant - Grants of up to EUR 20,000 for research projects focusing on antimicrobial resistance - deadline 13 September 2023
- Bactivac Public Engagement Focus Group, Online, 13 July 2023
- FOCIS European Advanced Course and Conference on Immunology, Rouen, France, 27- 31 August 2023
Jobs
- Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) CEO, The Gambia - - deadline: 14 July 2023,

Publications
- Memory B-cells are enriched in the blood of patients with acute Buruli ulcer disease: a prospective observational study - JK Adjei et al, BMC Infectious Diseases
- Tuberculosis control in the face of emerging infectious diseases: Highlights from the 7th South African Tuberculosis Conference - VALIDATE member SY Ma'aruf et al, Public Health Challenges
- BCG∆BCG1419c and BCG differ in induction of autophagy, c-di-GMP content, proteome, and progression of lung pathology in Mycobacterium tuberculosis HN878-infected male BALB/c mice, Jesús Aceves-Sánchez M et al including VALIDATE members Cristian Alfredo Segura-Cerda and Mario Alberto Flores-Valdez, in Vaccine
Have you published recently?
If you have published your research recently, get in touch with us and we will share your work on our Weekly Round-ups, social media and our Publications Page.

VALIDATE Seminars – Present your work to VALIDATE members
Since VALIDATE started in 2017, we have hosted over 25 online seminars and the VALIDATE team is working hard to bring you some great talks towards the end of 2023. If you have an exciting are of research you would like to share with your peers in the network, email us and you could be the star of the next VALIDATE Seminar – validate@ndm.ox.ac.uk.
Let us know if you have any thoughts about how VALIDATE can help you in your career or research and have a fantastic July!