SHORT COURSE IN
TRANSLATIONAL VIROLOGY

WHAT

A two-week intensive course on the fundamental, translational, and clinical aspects of viruses relevant to human health. The lectures will be delivered by leading medical virologists from GVN Centers of Excellence. All didactic courses will focus on cutting-edge aspects of virus research. The course includes allotted time for discussion and interaction with renowned medical virology leaders and opportunities to meet with policymakers and program officials from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

WHY

There is an urgent need for highly skilled, well-educated medical virologists all over the world. This course satisfies one of GVN's primary objectives: to ensure that emerging investigators working in medical virology receive the best possible training and have opportunities to interact with other global partners. This course enhances previously acquired skills while also providing new knowledge and avenues for expanding expertise and collaborations.

WHO

Approximately 15-20 participants will be selected to take part in this course. This course is designed for early-career scientists and physicians who want to broaden their knowledge of medical virology. Candidates should be Ph.D., or MD students, Post-Doctoral Fellows, Research Associates, or Assistant Professors. Key criteria for selection include the likelihood of future work in medical virology or contributions in the field of virology, as well as previous professional and academic accomplishments. All applications will be reviewed by a panel of GVN-affiliated scientists.

WHEN

July 15 to July 26, 2024

WHERE

Lodging will be provided at a local hotel within walking distance of the lecture sites. Shuttles will be available for off-site visits. Several Baltimore locations will be used for lectures and discussions, including the Institute of Human Virology and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Speakers to Include:

Robert C. Gallo, MD

The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine and Microbiology, Special Advisor to the Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Co-Founder & Emeritus Director, Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Co-Founder of the Global Virus Network & Chair of GVN’s Scientific Leadership Board

Sten Vermund, MD, PhD

President – Global Virus Network

Anna M.R. Lauder Professor of Public Health and former (2017-2022) Dean of the Yale School of Public Health

Professor in Pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine.

Diane E. Griffin, MD, PhD

Professor of Infectious Diseases and Neurology - Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Alfred and Jill Sommer Professor & Chair, Department of Molecular Microbiology, and Immunology - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

(Others to be announced in this space)

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 29, 2024 (registration is now closed)

PROGRAM DATES: Monday, July 15 - Friday, July 26, 2024

FORMAT: In-person

COURSE FEE: US $2,500 (with a few fellowships available)

LIMITED ENROLLMENT: 15-20 participants

COURSE FEE

US $2,500, which includes:

• Lodging for 13 nights
• Tuition
• Most meals (breakfast, 10 lunches, and 2 dinners)

Participants are responsible for their travel to and from Baltimore and the hotel.

FELLOWSHIPS

Course fees will be waived for three participants from Low- and Middle-Income Countries. These will be selected by a committee based on qualifications.

APPLICATION TIMELINE

Beginning February 8, 2024, applications will be accepted with no prioritization by the date of receipt. Enrollment is limited. The application window closed on April 29, 2024.

APPLICATION PACKAGE
Please see the complete application package below:

• Applicant information – the following are required:
  1. First Name
  2. Last Name
  3. Degree
  4. Current Primary Employer
  5. Current Job Title
  6. Work Address
  7. Nationality
  8. Email
  9. Phone Number
• CV – should include your current position and a brief description of responsibilities. Also include all education, post-graduate training, training courses attended, and previously held professional positions.
• Career Goals – in a brief paragraph, describe your career plans for the next five to ten years. Please relate how the training you receive in the GVN Short Course will be important in your career goals.
• Letter of Reference – one short letter of reference from someone familiar with your professional work. Letters should corroborate your interest in and commitment to medical virology.

Please submit all the required documentation in one package with the subject line: " GVN – Short Course in Virology" and send it to GVN Academy.

Please DO NOT send tuition with the application.

Please note: if needed, GVN will offer a formal invitation letter. We also encourage anyone applying who needs a visa to apply for it by no later than April, 2024. Additionally, GVN does not contact embassies nor does the GVN guarantee that visas will be granted.

Other Questions?

E-mail the GVN Academy

Alexandre Bornin with GVN's former Program Director Alfredo Garzino-Demo

“Participating in the 7th Short Course of Basic and Translational Virology hosted by the Global Virus Network was a huge privilege. The best part was connecting with brilliant researchers from around the world, at various career stages and cultural backgrounds. Attending lectures by renowned figures like Robert Gallo and Diane Griffin was an unmatched opportunity. Visiting institutions including the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins Institute, and NIAID-NIH was a lifetime experience!”

– Alexandre Borin, PhD Student in Molecular Biology and Genetics, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) – Brazil

Lea Apostol (right) with GVN's former Program Director Alfredo Garzino-Demo

"My dream has always been to be a public health scientist or virologist. The course is a mix of lectures on the latest updates of different virus research, and it provided an avenue for networking with my peers and speakers who are all renowned virologists. One of the highlights of the course was the visit to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where scientists presented the Virology Research Extramural Program and the Fogarty International Center and Global Research. Joining the GVN Short Course is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I am convinced that this course provides a long-term benefit to all participants. This experience has definitely refueled my "scientist-at-heart" and will serve as my unending catalyst for future research works."

– Lea Necitas G. Apostol, RMT, MPH, PhD Supervising Science Research Specialist; Section Head, National Reference Laboratory for Polioviruses, and other Enteroviruses.

Abdul Azeez Anjorin (right) with GVN's former Program Director Alfredo Garzino-Demo

“We were trained by twenty-eight renowned experts at three great institutions- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda. The experts were drawn from across about twenty Global Centers of Excellence from the Ivy league and beyond.”

– Abdul Azeez Anjorin, PhD, MNYA Head, Department of Microbiology; Senior Lecturer, Medical Virologist and Team Lead, Influenza & Other Respiratory Tract Viruses (IORTV) Research, Lagos State University.

"I participated in my first GVN short course in 2014, a few weeks after I became an independent principal investigator. The course covered a variety of viruses and interesting topics in virus research. More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to network with my peers and many of the speakers, which was really helpful for my future career. We also visited the White House and the Fogarty International Center at the National Institute of Health (NIH), I was really impressed. The short course helped me find my path when I was establishing my own laboratory and I can highly recommend it. I came back to teach at the course several times later in my career and really enjoyed the interactions with the course participants."

– Florian Krammer, PhD Professor of Vaccinology, Department of Microbiology - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai