Prof. Fischer has been conducting groundbreaking research on primary immunodeficiencies for many years, and his achievements include over 900 publications, hundreds of conference presentations, and numerous prestigious awards. In 1999, together with his team, he conducted the world's first clinical gene therapy in children with congenital SCID immunodeficiency. He was, among others, chairman of the committee for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination strategy in France and the French Academy of Sciences (2022–2024).

Lecture program by Prof. Alain Fischer

Monday, September 29, 2025

9:00 a.m. – Seminar and discussion: “Vaccination”
Collegium Pharmaceuticum Auditorium, 4A Chodźki Street

Vaccination”

Vaccines are by far the most efficient advance in the field of medicine, saving millions of lives worldwide every year. New advances in vaccine platforms, notably the use of mRNA, expand its range of applications. However, a continuous trend of distrust of vaccination exists among some populations. The reasons for this and potential countermeasures will be discussed.

2:00 p.m. – Inaugural lecture: “Advances in medicine and progress in health care”
Lecture Hall No. 1, Collegium Pathologicum, ul. Jaczewskiego 8B

 “Advances in medicine and progress in health care”

Over the last 25 years, major advances in medicine have been made based on scientific approaches that include mathematics, physics, chemistry, informatics and molecular biology. These approaches have contributed to a more refined description of diseases and a better understanding of their pathophysiology. New therapies have been developed, notably biotherapies such as monoclonal antibodies, which are moving medicine toward precision therapy. However, to translate these advances into better health, additional issues must be considered, including how medical care is delivered, its acceptability, and its accessibility. These issues will be discussed during the conference.

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

9:00 a.m. – Seminar and discussion: “Vulnerability to Epstein Barr Virus – a clinical perspective”
Auditorium of the University Children’s Hospital, ul. A. Gębali 6

„Vulnerability to Epstein Barr Virus – a clinical perspective”

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a DNA virus belonging to the herpes family, causes infectious mononucleosis. However, EBV can trigger lymphomas when it becomes persistent in B lymphocytes. Genetic defects in the immune response to EBV, particularly in cytotoxic T lymphocytes, can lead to severe, life-threatening EBV infections and cancers. Current studies contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in effective anti-EBV immunity and will be discussed during the conference.

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

9:00 a.m. – Seminar and discussion: „Gene therapy in the treatment of immune deficiencies – scientific and clinical perspectives”
Lecture Hall No. 1, Collegium Pathologicum, ul. Jaczewskiego 8B

„Gene therapy in the treatment of immune deficiencies – scientific and clinical perspectives”

Gene therapy is a new branch of medicine in which genes are introduced into patients' cells in vivo or ex vivo to compensate for severe inherited diseases. Primary immunodeficiencies have been the first diseases to be tackled with success, including severe combined immunodeficiencies (with a follow-up now extending to 25 years) and a few other diseases. The field is now moving toward the use of genome editing for that purpose.

All events are open to the public – we invite students, doctoral students, academics, researchers, and anyone interested in contemporary challenges and achievements in medicine.

The meetings will be held in English. 

The event is organized with the financial support of the Municipality of Lublin, as part of the Visiting Professors in Lublin program.