Newswise — Baltimore, Maryland, USA, October 26, 2022: The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing 68 Centers of Excellence and 11 Affiliates in 39 countries comprising foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans, and the Mahidol University in Thailand announced the addition of the Mahidol Virus Network as GVN’s newest Center of Excellence.
“We are pleased to add the region of Thailand via Mahidol University to our vast network,” 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. “Mahidol University has a long track record in virology and infectious disease research in various aspects including basic virology, epidemiology, clinical research and vaccine development.”
Since the emergence of dengue hemorrhagic fever in the 1960s, epidemics and emergences of various viruses occurred in the country and the region including rubella, avian influenza, pandemic influenza, zika, and SARS-CoV-2. Researchers and healthcare personnel at Mahidol University are among the critical task forces responding to these epidemics and providing solutions through research. In addition to large tertiary medical centers with a significant volume of clinical specimens, Mahidol University has extensive infrastructure for virology research including BSL-3 laboratories and animal facilities. Mahidol Virus Network comprises researchers and laboratories working in various fields of virology including diagnostic, new pathogen discovery, viral diversity, viral immunology, and molecular pathogenesis. The network serves as a platform for communication, collaboration, and resource sharing. The latest GVN Center is led by, Prasert Auewarakul, MD, professor of virology at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital.
"We look forward to sharing our expertise in several classes of emerging pathogenic viruses from the Southeast Asian region,” said Dr. Auewarakul. “In addition to collaborating with the GVN, we will expand our research communities in the country and the region to broaden participation in the Network taskforces, research activities, academia, education and training, and webinars.”
“Thailand is strategically important as it has had terrific success in initiating successful clinical trials against viral diseases, which is a significant advantage to GVN,” said Robert C. Gallo, MD, The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, Co-founder & Director, Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Co-founder & Chair of the Scientific Leadership Board of the GVN. “How we combat viral outbreaks in this region serves as a model for other nations. We look forward to sharing knowledge and training opportunities with the Mahidol Virus Network and advancing science to improve global health.”
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 68 Centers of Excellence and 11 Affiliates in 39 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
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