The Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio (VDCoSA) brings together researchers who support the development of vaccines at all stages: from A (antigens, adjuvants, antibodies) to V (vectors, variants, vaccination). After over a decade, you would think we wouldn't still need to point out the importance of vaccines or vaccine development. But we do. Vaccine-preventable diseases have not gone away.
Take November 7, 2025 as your opportunity to gather with your most innovative colleagues and invite your collaborators to join us in San Antonio for the 2025 Annual VDCoSA Conference. Why not consider sharing those innovative ideas that you’ve been working on all year. Talk about biomedical breakthroughs you have in development and spark collaborations.
The 2025 VDCoSA Annual Conference will take place at the downtown UT San Antonio campus on November 7, 2025, bringing together Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), Texas Biomedical Research Institute (TX Biomed), The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB), Texas Children’s Hospital, University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, Trinity University and more.
For out-of-town guests, we have blocked off several rooms at The Double Tree by Hilton; please contact cheryl.negrete@utsa.edu using the subject: VDCoSA Double Tree to inquire.
Professor and Vice Chair of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
His laboratory's research efforts are primarily focused on influenza A virus SARS-CoV-2, enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68), and Influenza B virus.
Their primary focus is to understand how virus proteins target to specific intracellular sites in order to mediate their function or to alter the function of host cell proteins and pathways. They also work to understand how viruses interact with respiratory epithelial cells to mediate the early stages of infection, using animal models of infection and primary cell cultures of respiratory epithelial cells.
Professor at David Geffen School of Medicine
His laboratory's research efforts are on identifying pathogenic mechanisms and virulence factors of fungal and bacterial infections, and translating these findings into novel immunotherapeutic strategies to combat infectious diseases. They focus on three primary areas:
1) host-pathogen interactions and pathogenesis of mucormycosis and development of rapid diagnostics and antibody-based therapy for this fatal fungal infection; 2) unnatural immunity to develop vaccine strategies that target multidrug resistant organisms; and 3) mechanisms of microbial sepsis to develop novel immunotherapies.
Head of Infectious Disease Immunology
Dr. Dube leads an international team of scientists providing vaccine solutions for unmet medical needs in the area of infectious diseases affecting livestock and companion animals. The team has groups specializing in bacterial pathogenesis, immunology, technologies, translational medicine, and project management. They work to understand the immunological aspects of host-pathogen interactions and mechanisms of vaccine-mediated protection by investigating a variety of high-consequence bacterial and viral pathogens.
Five Student Lightning Talks (10 min) & Quick Questions (5 min)
Moderator: Evelien Bunnik with Natalie Six, UT-Health San Antonio
(10:00am-10:15am) Milind Joshi, UT Health San Antonio, T Cell-Specific Deletion of Glutaminase (Gls1) Reduces Autoantibody Production and Alters Metabolic and Genetic Profile in Lupus-Prone Follicular Helper T Cells
(10:15am-10:30am) Reimi Navarro, UTSA,
Design and Evaluation of a Novel Recombinant Antigen for a T Cell-Based Vaccine Against Valley Fever
(10:30am-10:45am) Matthew Mendoza Barker, UTSA, Exploring the Impact of Diabetes on Immune Responses and Therapeutic Outcomes in Coccidioidomycosis
(10:45am-11:00am) Austin Todd, UT Health San Antonio, Lymphotoxin beta receptor signaling promotes SARS-CoV-2-induced lung disease and long COVID pain.
(11:00am-11:15am) Ramya Smithaveni Barre, Texas Biomed, A Human H5N1 Influenza Virus Expressing Nluc for Real-time Tracking Viral Infection and Identification of Therapeutic Interventions
Five Postdoc/Staff Scientist Lightning Talks (10 min) & Quick Questions (5 min) Moderator: Luan Vu Hung, UTSA with Zackary Armstrong, UTSA
(11:30am-11:45am) Nathaniel Jackson (judged with graduate students), Texas Biomed, Development of Semi-High-Throughput Fluorescent Neutralization Assays for Nipah and Hendra Viruses Under BSL-4 Conditions
(11:45am-12:00pm) Yao Ma, Texas Biomed,Cocktail with SARS-CoV-2 spike stem helix domain mAb antibody prevents rapid mutational escape of RBD mAb
(12:00pm-12:15pm) Narasimha Tanuj Gunturu, Texas Biomed, EVILs Unleashed: Ebola Virus-Induced lncRNA Rewire Macrophage Immune Responses
(12:15pm-12:30pm) Mahmoud Bayoumi, Texas Biomed, Generation and Characterization of Recombinant Machupo Virus for Antiviral and Live-Attenuated Vaccine Development
(12:30pm-12:45pm) Shashi Prakash Singh, Texas Biomed, Airway immune dysregulation begins early in Mtb/SIV co-infected rhesus macaques receiving combination Antiretroviral Therapy (cART)
Three Faculty Thunder Talks (20 min) & Quick Questions (5 min)
Moderator: UT San Antonio's Dr. Janakiram Seshu and Nawal Abdul-Baki.
(3:00pm – 3:25pm) Dan Salamango, UT Health San Antonio, HIV-induced DNA damage drives epigenetic remodeling and transcription programs during acute infection and latency reactivation
(3:25pm – 3:50pm) Greg Ippolito, Texas Biomed, Repertoire, function and structure of serological antibodies induced by the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine
(3:50pm - 4:15pm) Megan Kempher, UTSA, Unraveling How Structure Drives Neutralization: Insights into the Development of a Clostridioides difficile Toxin-Based Vaccine
GRADUATE STUDENT LIGHTNING TALKS: CASH PRIZES OF $200, $100 AND $100.
POSTDOC/STAFF SCIENTIST LIGHTNING TALKS: CASH PRIZES OF
$200, $100, AND $100.
POSTERS: TEN CASH PRIZES OF $100. GRADUATE STUDENTS, POSTDOCS AND STAFF SCIENTISTS WILL ALL BE COMPETING FOR THE SAME POSTER MONEY. YOUR REPUTATION IS ON THE LINE.
ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS IS CLOSED.
The Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio (VDCoSA) has been bringing scientists together since 2012, when it was first founded to foster a more collaborative and inter-disciplinary culture. VDCoSA's two major focuses have always been to encourage collaboration among scientists in vaccine research, which includes applying for grants to fund collaborative proposals, and to host an annual symposium on infectious diseases, immunology and vaccines.
In the words of VDCoSA's founding executive director, Ken Trevett, "Science is a team effort. This Center is built on the extraordinary power of people working together."
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