Global Virus Network Adds Tulane University School of Medicine as Newest Center of Excellence
Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and Atlanta, GA, USA, Oct. 19, 2016: The Global Virus Network (GVN) and Tulane University School of Medicine announced today the induction of Tulane as GVN’s newest Center of Excellence. The GVN represents 38 Centers of Excellence and six affiliates in 25 countries and comprises foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans.
The announcement was made by Robert Gallo, MD, co-founder and scientific director of GVN and Robert Garry, PhD, professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, assistant dean, Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, program manager, Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Consortium, Tulane University School of Medicine. Garry will be director of Tulane’s GVN Center of Excellence.
The new Tulane GVN Center of Excellence focuses on a number of aspects of viral pathogenesis. Tulane also leads the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Consortium (VHFC), a public-private partnership of scientists who are developing countermeasures, including diagnostics, immunotherapeutics and vaccines, against Lassa virus, Ebola and Marburg viruses, flaviviruses (including Zika virus) and several other high consequence pathogens.
“Given their breadth and deep expertise in viruses, particularly hemorrhagic viruses, Tulane will be an excellent resource for the GVN,” said Gallo, who is co-discoverer of HIV and The Homer and Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, director, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, a GVN Center of Excellence. “Bob Garry’s ability to establish successful public-private partnerships, such as the VHFC, to help bring lab research to the clinic, particularly in the field of diagnostics, will be a tremendous boost to the GVN.”
“We look forward to joining the GVN so that we can better foster infrastructure development, research, training and education on detection, prevention, amelioration, and treatment of viral hemorrhagic fever viruses targeting both the scientific and general communities,” says Garry. “We have a significant presence in West Africa and are pleased to extend our global reach through the GVN.”
The VHFC is a collaboration between Tulane, Scripps Research Institute (a GVN Center of Excellence), Harvard University/Broad Institute, University of Texas Medical Branch (a GVN Center of Excellence), Autoimmune Technologies LLC, Kenema Government Hospital (Sierra Leone), Redeemers University and the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (Nigeria), Zalgen Labs, LLC, and various other partners in West Africa.
The GVN is a global authority and resource for the identification and investigation, interpretation and explanation, control and suppression, of viral diseases posing threats to mankind. It enhances the international capacity for reactive, proactive and interactive activities that address mankind-threatening viruses and addresses a global need for coordinated virology training, developing scholarly exchange programs for recruiting and training young scientists in medical virology. The GVN also serves as a resource to governments and international organizations seeking advice about viral disease threats, prevention or response strategies and GVN advocates for research and training on virus infections and their many disease manifestations.
About the Global Virus Network (GVN)
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, comprised of leading medical virologists from 25 countries. The GVN’s mission is to combat current and emerging pandemic viral threats through international collaborative research, training the next generation of medical virologists, and advocacy. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org. Follow us on Twitter @GlobalVirusNews
About Tulane University School of Medicine
One of the nation’s most recognized centers for medical education, Tulane University School of Medicine is a vibrant center for education, research and public service. Tulane School of Medicine is the second-oldest medical school in the Deep South and the 15th oldest medical school in the United States. Tulane School of Medicine recruits top faculty, researchers and students from around the world, and pushes the boundaries of medicine with groundbreaking medical research and surgical advances. Tulane remains in the forefront of modern medical innovation and is equipping the next generation of medical professionals with the tools to succeed in the rapidly changing future of health care.