2021 Program Theme

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global health pandemic. For over a year, we have experienced the quintessential global health challenge in real-time, and the Global Teen Medical Summit has been the perfect vehicle for exploring it with the next generation of global health problem solvers. Last year’s Summit focused on understanding the pandemic. This year, we will focus on the technology that we are depending on to bring an end to it: vaccines.

Because we are not yet able to resume our traditional in-person program, we are moving forward with a virtual format, bringing together researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs and policy makers to talk about what’s happening behind the scenes and on the front lines of the COVID-19 vaccination effort. One special guest for this year’s summit is Dr. William Haseltine, the Chair and President of ACCESS Health International and an internationally recognized expert on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional guests will be announced in the coming weeks.

Featured Experts

• Dr. Lu Tang
• Dr. William Haseltine
• Dr. Peter Hotez

Session and Speaker Topics

Sessions will provide participants with an opportunity to learn about science behind vaccines and the innovation and technology that are being used to create them. There are also opportunities to interact with speakers and fellow participants through virtual social components, including gaming and virtual tours of the exhibits at the museum. Topics may include:

• What is the science behind vaccines? e.g., immune system, pathogens, and/or basic cell biology
• How has the approach to vaccine creation changed over time? e.g., case study comparison of COVID-19 and the outbreaks featured in the Outbreak exhibit, including polio
• How has the science of vaccine development and distribution changed?
• How have emergent technologies been used to create vaccines and therapies for SARS-CoV-2? e.g., mRNA vaccines
• How are corporations, organizations, and individuals helping to mitigate the challenges posed by vaccine distribution? e.g., incentives, making vaccines mandatory, vaccine passports, limiting capacity, requiring masks
• What ethical considerations have arisen? e.g., access to vaccines, community mistrust, misinformation, etc.

Teens

This year’s virtual format will consist of daily speaker sessions, student challenges, and opportunities to socialize with other students in the program. Mandatory sessions will take place Monday – Friday between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Optional sessions will be offered throughout the week in the afternoons and evenings for those students who wish to participate.

This year’s program is limited to 100 students. The registration fee is $250 for non-members and $225 for members. To reserve a space in this year’s program, register here.

These sessions will be made available free-of-charge. Please consider supporting our mission in the community by:

• Making a donation online
• Becoming a Member or joining the Fellow’s Circle
• Ordering a Biohazard t-shirt or hoodie from the Amazing Body Store