ABOUT THE

CHIKUNGUNYA TASK FORCE

ABOUT THE TASK FORCE

The GVN Chikungunya Task Force is a group of leading scientists from around the world committed to finding solutions to the growing problem of Chikungunya virus.

TASK FORCE MEMBERSWHAT IS CHIKUNGUNYA?

  • Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes its victims to suffer fever and severe, debilitating and often chronic joint pain.
  • There is no specific antiviral drug treatment or vaccine for Chikungunya; treatment is directed primarily at relieving the symptoms.
  • Chikungunya was first described during an outbreak in Tanzania in 1952, but has most recently reached the Caribbean and South America, with local transmission also in the United States.

TASK FORCE ACTIVITIES

The GVN Chikungunya Task Force is a group of leading scientists from around the world committed to finding solutions to the growing problem of Chikungunya virus. Activities of the CHIK TF include:

  • Review the state of the science and potential research opportunities on animal models of infection and disease, candidate vaccine constructs, new anti-viral drugs, and seroepidemiology studies for previously unrecognized cases of CHIK, while including a focus on the Caribbean and Americas.
  • Identify potential funding sources to support international collaborative research and address gaps in knowledge.
  • Train the next generation of researchers to study the interactions between viruses and mosquito vectors. Provide expertise and visibility as GVN speaks about this challenge to a variety of audiences.

TASK FORCE MEMBERS

  • Simon Cauchemez, PhD (Institut Pasteur in Paris)
  • James Crowe, MD (Vanderbilt University)
  • John Fazakerley, PhD (Peter Doherty Institute,
    The University of Melbourne)
  • Matthew Frieman, PhD (U. Maryland Sch. Med., Baltimore, MD)
  • Diane Griffin, PhD (Johns Hopkins University)
  • William Hall, PhD ( University College Dublin, Ireland)
  • William Klimstra, PhD (University of Pittsburgh)
  • Xavier de Lamballerie, PhD (Aix Marseille Université)
  • Marc Lecuit, MD, PhD, Co-Chair (Institut Pasteur in Paris)
  • Peter Liljestrom, PhD (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden)
  • Jean Lim, PhD (Mount Sinai Hospital, NY)
  • Calum N.L. Macpherson, PhD (St. George’s Univ., Grenada)
  • Andres Merits, PhD (University of Tartu, Estonia)
  • Lisa Ng, PhD (Singapore Immunology Network, SIgN)
  • Kenneth Olson, PhD ( Arthropod-Borne Infectious Disease Laboratory at Colorado St. Univ.)
  • Jorge Osorio, DVM, PhD (U Wisconsin)
  • Janusz Paweska, DVM (National Institute of Communicable Diseases, South Africa)
  • Ann Powers, PhD (CDC, Atlanta)
  • E. Sreekumar, PhD (RG Centre for Biotech, Kerala, India)
  • Andreas Suhrbier, PhD (QIMR Berghofer, Australia)
  • Scott Weaver, MS, PhD, Co-Chair (UTMB)
  • Mary Wilson, MD (Harvard SPH, Boston)
  • In-Kyu Yoon, MD (Virology, AFRIMS, Thailand)