Stop #3 on the Beaker Street Festival's Tassie Science Road Trip

Molecular and viral warfare against transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils — Dr Andy Flies

Two different contagious cancers have killed thousands of Tasmanian devils in the past 25 years, devastating populations of this iconic species and threatening its long-term survival. Hear from Andy about his work with the Tasmanian devil immunology and vaccine team, who are leading the way in understanding this extremely rare transmissible cancer. By adapting techniques from human medicine to stimulate the devil’s immune system to kill devil facial tumour cells, these scientists are making great strides towards developing a vaccine to protect the species.

About the Speaker
Andrew Flies completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Minnesota State University in 2002, with minors in Chemistry and Math. He then transitioned to immunology and worked at The Mayo Clinic (2003-2004) and Johns Hopkins University (2004-2006) where his primary responsibility was developing and testing monoclonal antibodies. He was his PhD from Michigan State University in Dec 2012. His research studied the effects of ecology on the immune system of a large carnivore. He moved to Australia in 2013 and worked vaccinia-virus based vaccines for one year. His focus since 2014 has been on the development of cancer vaccines and reagent development (e.g. recombinant proteins, nanobodies) for non-model species. His recent publications focus on an adenovirus-based cancer vaccine (Expert Review of Vaccines, 2020), rapid immunology reagent development (Science Advances, 2020), and "Rewilding immunology (Science, 2020).

More about Beaker Street Festival's Tassie Science Road Trip
Explore Tasmania alongside some of Tassie’s most interesting and accomplished scientists. Take a deep dive into four iconic locations, where you’ll hear from some of the state's most prominent scientists on issues relevant to the local area. At each location, you'll be invited to a scientific talk, followed by plenty of opportunities to chat with the scientists one-on-one over drinks or a meal. Join us at every stop of the Trip, or choose your own adventure. View the whole Road Trip, and learn more about Beaker Street Festival, the annual celebration of science and art in lutruwita/Tasmania, at www.beakerstreet.com.au.

Please Note
This ticket is for the scientific talk only. If you'd like to attend dinner with the scientist, please contact the hotel on (03) 6492 1404.

COVID-19 Entry Conditions
All visitors 16 years and older are required to register their details on entry via the Check In TAS app. Please maintain social distancing especially when queueing or at our bars. If you are unwell, please stay home.

A Seat at the Table
Beaker Street Festival's pay-it-forward initiative, A Seat at the Table, helps make our science and art offerings accessible to those who can't afford to purchase a ticket. Ticket buyers have the option to donate towards the cost of a stranger's ticket. You won't know who you've helped, but your donation will go directly to allowing someone else to access this great event.

Need a seat at the table? Email: seatplease@beakerstreet.com.au with your name, email address, post code, your age (if you don't mind - it helps us gather data), which event you're interested in, and whether you would like one or two tickets. Your information will never be shared or made public. If we can offer you a seat, we'll notify you by email within a week of the event.