President’s End-of-Term Report (Jan. 2024 – Dec. 2025)
As the 2024–2025 presidential term comes to a close, I am delighted to celebrate a period of remarkable growth, achievement, and global impact for the International Society for Vaccines (ISV), and thank all who were involved in contributing to these successes and to
our members who actively engaged in ISVs activities to advance vaccine science worldwide.
It has been a great honour to serve as the President and to work alongside such an inspiring, dedicated, and passionate global community.
My term has been defined by new initiatives, global collaboration, and a shared commitment to excellence, guided by the missions I set out in January 2024 to advance our society and strengthen its global impact. Here’s a snapshot of what we have achieved together:
- Expanding ISV’s Scientific Activities.
We successfully launched monthly vaccine science webinars and quarterly themed mini-symposia, engaging members beyond our Annual Congress. These sessions showcased topics from mechanistic vaccinology to clinical trials and vaccine manufacturing and brought together leading experts worldwide. Importantly, by making all sessions available on the ISV YouTube channel, we extended the reach and impact of our science, ensuring ongoing access for members across the globe.
- Expanding ISV’s Global Outreach and Inclusivity.
Another important success of this term was the strengthening of ISV’s Global Partnerships and Organizational Foundations, led by Dr Shan Lu (Worchester HIV). Through enhanced collaboration with international vaccine organizations and societies (e.g., International AIDS Society, International Vaccine Institute, IVVN, VITAL-Korea, Butantan Institute and more), ISV expanded joint programming, co-hosted scientific sessions, and increased its visibility within the global vaccine ecosystem.
The 2025 ISV Annual Congress in Stellenbosch, South Africa likewise represented a major milestone as the Society’s first Annual Congress on the African continent. This achievement underscored ISV’s commitment to geographic inclusivity and global representation in vaccine science. The introduction of an Africa Day Satellite Meeting organised by Dr Ed Rybicki (University of Cape Town) and Dr Neil Almond (MHRA, UK) further strengthened regional engagement by highlighting locally driven research, manufacturing, and implementation efforts, while fostering meaningful dialogue between African and global vaccine stakeholders.
- Increasing Global Membership and Engagement.
Our expanded activities and global outreach have translated into sustained growth in ISV membership, with increasing engagement from early career researchers (ECRs) and members from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the latter benefiting from reduced membership fees introduced this term to join our society and broaden access and inclusivity.
Likewise, ISV committees have been invigorated with new members following participation at the 2024 and 2025 Annual Congresses. I hope the society will continue to build on this momentum. To that end, can I encourage all our members whose annual subscriptions end on December 31, and previous members, to renew. Simply hit the ‘Join ISV button’ on the home page www.isv-online.org . Your subscriptions are important, they enable us to host our monthly webinar series, virtual mini-symposia and provide support for ECRs through initiatives for the ‘Next Generation Vaccinologist‘ research seminars, mentorship initiatives, congress activities and travel scholarships.
- Strengthening Support for Early Career Vaccinologists
One of the achievements I am most proud of during this presidency is the significant growth in support for and engagement from early career vaccinologists (ECRs), which is essential for ISV’s long-term sustainability and vitality.
In January 2024, we launched the Next Generation Vaccinologist Network, which has grown from four founding members to more than 170 members. The Network has its own committee structure, dedicated webinars, and career discussions led by ECRs, further reinforcing ISV’s commitment to mentorship, leadership development, and scientific excellence across career stages.
ISV also secured its largest grant funding to date (thanks to CEPI, the Gates Foundation, the International Veterinary Vaccine Network (IVVN), the International Vaccine Institute and the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation (PRF), enabling a record 75 travel awards in 2025 and expanded presentation opportunities, particularly for students and ECRs from LMICs. These achievements are showcased on the ISV website and in our newsletters, highlighting our strong commitment to inclusivity and capacity building.
In addition, we re-established the ISV Mentorship Program, now led by Dr. Linda Lua (University of Queensland), connecting ECRs with experienced vaccinologists to support career development and networking. Members interested in serving as mentors are warmly encouraged to contact us at info@isv-online.org
- Enhancing Knowledge Sharing and Scientific Recognition
Throughout this term, ISV continued to celebrate excellence in vaccinology through its strong Awards and Recognition Program, including the Fellow Awards (the highest honour bestowed by ISV), the Distinguished Service Awards, the Stanley Plotkin Lecture, and the Paper of the Year Award. These honours recognise outstanding scientific contributions and sustained service to the field.
In parallel, the Paper of the Month initiative (led by Dr Sita Awasthi, University of Pennsylvania) was further strengthened as a valuable educational resource, highlighting influential research and supporting continuous learning across the ISV membership.
- Strengthening Governance and Board Representation.
To support ISV’s continued growth and resilience, I established a Governance Committee, which has made significant strides in strengthening the Society’s organizational framework and governance practices.
Under the leadership of Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan (National Research Council Canada), the Committee implemented constitutional changes to Board representation, resulting in increased representation of mid-career scientists on the newly elected 2026–2027 Board. This is a critical step in ensuring leadership continuity, broadening perspectives in decision-making, and cultivating future leaders who reflect the evolving demographics and expertise of our membership.
The Governance Committee also finalized a Conflict-of-Interest Policy, ratified by the Board of Directors. This policy reinforces transparency, accountability, and the highest ethical standards across all ISV activities.
- Promoting Financial Sustainability.
To strengthen ISV’s financial foundation, a Finance Sub-Committee was established and is now led by Dr. Lenny Moise (SeromYx). Over the past term, the Committee guided strategic investment of ISV capital through a Merrill Lynch account, improved financial operating efficiency, and achieved a significant net increase in income – ensuring sustainability and supporting future growth.
Finally, I would like to thank all our annual sponsors, partners and individuals who have provided personal donations in 2024 – 2025 that have enabled us to sustain our annual activities to connect scientists at all stages of their careers to the latest developments in vaccinology.
On behalf of the ISV leadership, I would like to wish all of you a Happy Holiday and a peaceful New Year.
Linda Klavinskis, PhD
President, International Society for Vaccines
