GVN Adds the Centre Scientifique de Monaco as Newest Member to Combat Viral Threats

Baltimore, Maryland, USA, March 22, 2022: The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing 69 Centers of Excellence and 11 Affiliates in 37 countries comprising foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans, and the Centre Scientifique de Monaco (CSM) announced CSM as GVN’s newest Affiliate.

“Just last year, we co-hosted a significant international meeting with Monaco to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in developing nations, and focus on establishing innovative platforms for the diagnostics of key human pathogens and drive innovative public health strategies to monitor the efficacy of vaccines against COVID19,” said Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, President of the GVN, Associate Vice President for International Partnerships and Innovation at University of South Florida (USF), and Professor, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the GVN Southeast U.S. Regional Headquarters.  “I look forward to working with the Centre Scientifique de Monaco and its partners in the Principality of Monaco to build global collaboration efforts to identify cutting-edge technologies, integrate the impact of environmental changes on biodiversity and nutrition and prepare for future pandemics.”

The CSM is historically involved in marine and polar biology research and has included human research over the last decade with several publications in the most prestigious journals such as the Nature series. In 2013, according to the will of Prince Albert II, CSM created The Department of Medical Biology to advance fundamental research programs such as the mechanisms of innate immunity involved in the defense against infections affecting invertebrates and humans, cell metabolism and abnormal proliferation of tumor cells.  The Department also develops translation studies designed to transmit laboratory data as quickly as possible for the benefit of patients suffering from cancer or muscular pathologies.  The team is dedicated to the management and financing of clinical research programs that contribute to the edifice of precision medicine, through the development of new therapeutic approaches with optimal efficacy.

The latest GVN Affiliate is led by Thomas Althaus, MD, MSc, DPhil, an infectious disease doctor specialized in public health and epidemiology, with an extensive experience of diagnostics in the context of developing nations.

“CSM looks forward to the exchange and synergy of scientific research projects with teams from the GVN,” said Dr. Althaus.  “While Monaco has its own national agenda, we aim to meet worldwide challenges like the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We see terrific potential for collaborations with GVN to improve diagnosis, treatment, prevention and surveillance of public health global threats.”

“We are pleased to add CSM to our growing international network as Monaco will be an important contributor to our European region, and overall network,” said Robert Gallo, MD, The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, Co-Founder and Director of the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, a GVN Center of Excellence, and Co-Founder and International Scientific Advisor of the GVN.

About the Global Virus Network (GVN)
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense and first research response to emerging, existing and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health, working in close coordination with established national and international institutions. It is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 69 Centers of Excellence and 11 Affiliates in 37 countries worldwide, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines, and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org. Follow us on Twitter @GlobalVirusNews

Media Contact:
Nora Samaranayake, GVN
410-706-1966
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