Global Virus Network Adds International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
Global Virus Network Adds International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
as Newest Center of Excellence
Baltimore, Maryland, USA, August 8, 2016: The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing 36 Centers of Excellence and 6 Affiliates in 25 countries and comprising foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans, and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) announced today the induction of IVI as GVN’s newest Center of Excellence. IVI is headquartered on the campus of Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. The announcement was made by Robert Gallo, MD, Co-Founder and International Scientific Advisor of GVN and Jerome Kim, MD, Director General of IVI. IVI is the first organization in Korea to become a GVN Center of Excellence.
“IVI, with Dr. Jerome Kim at the helm, brings to the GVN an array of viral expertise, including HIV, Dengue, MERS-CoV and hepatitis E as well as a significant global reach with its field sites in nearly 30 countries in Asia, Africa and South America,” said Dr. Gallo, who is co-discoverer of HIV and Director of the Institute (IHV) of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, a GVN Center of Excellence. “GVN is very pleased to welcome IVI into the network and looks forward to officially introducing IVI to GVN’s Centers of Excellence at our upcoming international meeting in Japan this fall.”
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is an international nonprofit organization that was founded on the belief that the health of children in developing countries can be dramatically improved by the use of new and improved vaccines. Working in collaboration with the international scientific community, public health organizations, governments, and industry, IVI is involved in all areas of the vaccine spectrum – from new vaccine design in the laboratory to vaccine development and evaluation in the field to facilitating sustainable introduction of vaccines in countries where they are most needed.
“IVI wishes to gain opportunities in information-sharing and collaborations on research and training initiatives with GVN members,” said Dr. Kim. “We especially look forward to participating in scientific exchanges, and fellows and training programs.”
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 the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is the world’s only international organization devoted exclusively to developing and introducing new and improved vaccines to protect the world’s poorest people, especially children in developing countries. Established in 1997, IVI operates as an independent international organization under a treaty signed by 35 countries and the World Health Organization. The Institute conducts research in more than 20 countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America on vaccines against enteric and diarrheal infections, Japanese encephalitis, MERS-CoV, and dengue fever, and develops new and improved vaccines at its headquarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea. For more information, please visit http://www.ivi.int.