Prof Adrian Hill, Lakshmi Mittal & Family Professor Of Vaccinology, Professor Of Human Genetics, and Director of the Jenner Institute; and Dr César López-Camacho, Senior Researcher and Group Leader for mRNA technologies, welcomed Ms Josefa González-Blanco at the Jenner Institute. They discussed Dr López-Camacho’s work on vaccine development for arthropod-borne virus vaccines and second-generation of mRNA vaccine platforms.
Dr López-Camacho, who completed his undergraduate degree in biology in Puebla, Mexico, undertook his post-doctoral studies in the US and UK on vaccine development for infectious diseases using Molecular Biology. He also worked with a group led by Prof Gavin Screaton to research how the immune system works in people who have recovered from COVID-19. In 2021, he received the Ohtli Award from the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of Mexicans Abroad.
The Ohtli Award is the highest recognition given by the Government of Mexico to individuals who have contributed significantly to the empowerment, well-being, and advancement of Mexican communities abroad. In the Nahuatl language the word "Ohtli" means "pathway", which represents the honouree's role in creating a path and leading the way for Mexican people living abroad to achieve their goals.
Ambassador González Blanco said: “Visiting the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, a spearhead for vaccine development in the world, allowed me to grasp a better understanding of how scientists devote extreme efforts to create and progress such important tools to prevent terrible diseases. We, at the embassy, together with Dr Lopez-Camacho are actively discussing synergies and strategies to both support the professional shape of our Mexican student community as well as to explore venues of bilateral collaboration.”
Following the meeting, Dr López-Camacho said: “I am thrilled to welcome our Ambassador of Mexico to the Jenner Institute, we have discussed how important it is to promote and maintain academic collaborations that will positively impact the lives and careers of our younger generation of Mexican Scientists”.