About The Working Group
GVN Centers of Excellence include virology research programs from leading institutions around the world. Some GVN Centers also have Affiliate Centers in low-middle income countries (LMICs). GVN has recently initiated the GVN Health Care and Pharma Centers of Excellence Coalition. Abbott has been the first pharma company to join this program. Abbott has recently announced a new initiative, the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition. This program aims to identify new pathogens and to build up research capacity by creating a network with LMICs and by supporting their clinical and laboratory staff, instrumentation, and biorepository facilities. In each center, clinical samples and data will be collected, stored, and processed for antigenic and molecular testing and genomic surveillance. Genomic analysis for collected raw data will be processed in the centralized core facilities, and then processed data and bioinformatics will be available through an established database system.
In this context, GVN proudly announces the launch of the GVN Emerging Pathogens Discovery Network Working Group in partnership with Abbott and the University at Buffalo SUNY, a GVN Center of Excellence. This program will be directed by Dr. Gene D. Morse (Director of University at Buffalo, SUNY, GVN Center of Excellence) and Dr. Gavin Cloherty (Director of Infectious Diseases at Abbott).
The working group is inviting GVN researchers to participate in conference calls and meetings to initiate this program and to identify potential LMICs to become Affiliate Centers. In addition, junior researchers in GVN Centers will be eligible to apply for a research grant for collaboration opportunities with participating Affiliate Centers in LMICs by mentoring faculty and trainees, conducting collaborative research and advancing the goals of the Pandemic Defense Coalition.