GVN 2022 End of Year Report

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Introductory Remarks from the President

Dear GVN family,

I hope you and your loved ones had a joyful holiday season and Happy New Year!

In 2022, infectious diseases, and in particular viral infections, remained a major threat to human health worldwide. Having provided a much-needed platform for discussion and collaboration on the COVID-19 pandemic within the medical community since its beginning, the Global Virus Network (GVN) continues to play a vital role in mitigating the current pandemic and preparing for future pandemics. While we still have uncertainties with SARS-CoV-2, the priority is shifting on how to live with endemic and evolving virus, and to investigate and ameliorate the effects of Long COVID on public health. It is also critical to turn our attention to the development of next-generation vaccines with broad neutralization, multiple epitopes (including T cell epitopes), and work on approaches to augment the duration of antibody responses.

The outbreak of Monkeypox, which is now referred to as Mpox, virus (MPXV) during Spring of 2022 kept the research community on high alert and reinforced the need for pandemic preparedness. While the situation has seemingly improved, cases are still occurring, especially in underserved minority groups. In addition, little has been done to promote prevention and therapeutic programs in countries where MPXV is enzootic. Thus, it is necessary to focus the attention of clinical providers and researchers on ways to promote equal access to Mpox treatment and prevention.

In these circumstances, I am extremely proud of our GVN community for the ways in which we have been able to mobilize our efforts. As a network based on a coalition of leading global virologists, we are persistent in our efforts to expand our network and increase contributions to vulnerable regions, as well as broaden our scope of collaborative research. We are now 68 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) and 11 Affiliates in 39 nations.

This past year, the GVN Healthcare and Pharma Centers of Excellence Coalition successfully expanded its centers with the participation of Abbott, Gilead, Janssen, Moderna, Sanofi, and Unilever. The Coalition is a catalyst in bringing together GVN’s foremost virologists and prominent companies to support cutting-edge viral research, drug and vaccine development and training activities, increase awareness of medical virology issues, and serve as a platform for partnerships to strengthen international viral preparedness and response.

In 2022, we also welcomed seven distinguished international appointments to our Board of Directors. We also added to the GVN Board of Directors, Anders Vahlne, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus in clinical virology of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and GVN Center Director. They are world leaders in academia, business, government, healthcare, philanthropy & science who commit their expertise to advancing the development & expansion of the GVN.

In the past years, we have coordinated numerous scientific projects and organized Task Forces & Virus Watch Groups (TF & VWG) on specific viruses including Zika, Chikungunya, and HTLV-1, SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Pathogens Discovery Network Watch Group. This year, the GVN initiated several new TF & VWG including Public Health & Hygiene, Long COVID, Dengue, and Monkeypox. The various TF & VWG have led the best virologists worldwide to merge their efforts on the viral infections which represent a threat to human health.

GVN also hosted a first-of-its-kind conference on Long COVID, including a two-day on-line meeting in July 2022 to bring together a global network of experts to exchange scientific ideas, distil the most important scientific advances in our understanding of Long COVID, and help chart a comprehensive and collaborative scientific program of research. You can view the recordings here: Day 1 and Day 2.

We have also concertedly focused our attention on education, training, and mentoring young scientists in the fields of virology, infectious diseases, and medical sciences. We extend our congratulations to the first 5 graduates from the GVN Drs. Yang Liu & Pan Zheng Academy Programs - Rising Star Mentorship Program. GVN and Abbott also established a Pandemic Defense Fellowship Program to train the next generation of virologists in the early detection of pandemic threats. Further, GVN hosted yearly Alumni events to foster collaboration among our more than 90 Academy graduates and our senior scientists. These programs aim to facilitate mentorship and training of early career virologists through GVN’s Centers of Excellence and Affiliates and Health Care and Pharma Centers of Excellence.

We are pleased to remind you of the GVN COVID-19 Variants and Vaccines Resource Portal, and GVN Monkeypox Information Page hosted on the GVN website.

I sincerely thank all the GVN scientists’ dedication and support for GVN’s programs and activities. We have a growing, dedicated team at the GVN, and I look forward to you meeting them in person as we network with you throughout the coming year.

As the new year begins, I hope you will continue to share my hope for the future of GVN and continue to support us in achieving our ambitious vision. I look forward to continuing this wonderful journey with you!

Christian Bréchot
President, Global Virus Network

ACTIVITIES IN 2022

New Board of Directors

GVN welcomed seven distinguished international appointments to its Board of Directors. We also added to the GVN Board of Directors, Anders Vahlne, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus in clinical virology of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and GVN Center Director. They are world leaders in academia, business, government, healthcare, philanthropy & science who commit their expertise to advancing the development & expansion of the GVN.

New Projects and Collaborations

New Academic Centers of Excellence (CoE) and Affiliates: GVN added the Aegis Consortium at the University of Arizona Health Sciences, Centre Scientifique de Monaco (CSM), Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Scientific Platform Pasteur-University of São Paulo (SPPU), Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnologies at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), and Thailand’s Mahidol University as the newest Centers and Affiliates to combat viral threats. In addition, we welcome the promotion of the Institute for Human Virology - Nigeria from Affiliate to a full Center of Excellence. GVN now includes 68 CoEs with 11 Affiliates in 39 countries around the world. Look up our CoEs and affiliates here.

GVN Regional Headquarters: USF Health, at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, FL., was the first regional headquarters named by GVN. Support from the regional headquarters includes administrative support, undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate scholarships, and co-hosting regional and international meetings.

GVN Healthcare and Pharma CoE Coalition (GHPC): GVN has successfully expanded the GHPC, with the participation of Abbott Laboratories,  Gilead, Janssen, Moderna, Unilever, and Sanofi.

2022 GVN Research Roundup

Task Forces: Current active task forces include SARS-CoV-2, Long COVID, Public Health & Hygiene, Dengue, and Monkeypox. Each task force meets regularly to update knowledge on the spread of the outbreak and coordinate international efforts to advance research studies towards vaccination, therapeutic, and/or preventive approaches to contain and end the outbreak. Past task forces include: Zika, HTLV-1, and Chikungunya. Read more here.

GVN Science of Long COVID Conference: To promote a global and coordinated response to the threat of Long COVID, GVN hosted a two-day on-line conference in July 2022 to bring together a global network of experts to exchange scientific ideas, distil the most important scientific advances in our understanding of Long COVID, and help chart a comprehensive and collaborative scientific program of research. You can watch the recordings here: Day 1 and Day 2.

GVN Virus Watch Groups (VWG): The VWG are comprised of highly pathogenic virus categories: respiratory, retroviruses, oncogenic, arboviruses, hemorrhagic fever viruses, gastrointestinal, and zoonotic. The current active watch group is the Emerging Pathogens Watch Group. This program aims to identify new pathogens and to build up research capacity by creating a network with low-and middle-income countries, and by supporting their clinical and laboratory staff, instrumentation, and biorepository facilities. Read more here.

Research & Clinical Trials: This focuses on translating research data into practical applications to improve diagnostics, disinfectant technologies, therapeutic options and vaccine development. Some of our partners are Abbott, Sanofi, Gilead, Moderna, and Unilever.

Virtual Biobanking: The Global Virus Network recognizes the importance of convenient, facile access to samples for research purposes. Therefore, the GVN is proposing a virtual biobanking program. Instead of centralizing sample storage, samples are kept at the site of origin. The GVN will offer the necessary coordination and connect centers and partners that need certain samples with the centers that have collected samples. A request for expression of interest is available on our website, with a deadline of January 13, 2023.

GVN Scientists’ Publications: GVN scientists have authored, shared, and managed vital pieces of virology information. Notable publications include Perspectives, The Other Side of Virology: Beyond The Covid-19 Pandemic,  GVN Center member publications, and the Weekly Briefs.

GVN Supported Meeting: 6th National Congress of the Italian Society for Virology - GVN President Dr. Christian Bréchot, Co-Founder Dr. Robert Gallo, and several GVN scientists were featured in 6th national congress of the Italian Society for Virology meeting in Italy in July 2022.

Training and Education

GVN Drs. Yang Liu & Pan Zheng Academy: GVN senior virologists are committed to sharing their invaluable expertise with junior virologists through mentorship and intensive training at the GVN to better prepare the next generation of virologists. Current active programs are:

GVN Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program (GPFTP): This program meets one of GVN’s core goals: to nurture junior scientists in pursuing their careers in virology. GPFTP will also ensure emerging leaders in medical virology receive top-flight training and have opportunities to engage with either industrial or academic partners globally. Three postdocs are supported by this program for two years.

From left to right:

Dr. Rubaiyea Farrukee from Australia, matched University of Melbourne, Australia
Dr. William M. Souza from Brazil, matched University of Texas Medical Branch, USA
Dr. Birendra Gupta from Nepal, matched Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA

GVN Rising Star Mentorship Program: GVN identifies and supports promising early-career investigators who will lead the field of infectious diseases by developing innovative diagnostic and interventional strategies to combat human pathogens through the Rising Star Program. 5 rising stars successfully graduated the 2022-2023 program.

From left to right:

Dr. Jana Broadhurst, MD, PhD, DTM&H, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, USA
Dr. Adeola Fowotade, PhD, Instructor of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Dr. Vineet Menachery, PhD, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, USA
Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbet, PhD, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, USA
Dr. Piya Paul Mudgal, PhD, Associate Professor of Virology, Institute of Virology, Manipal Institute of Virology, India

11 new rising stars will receive training and mentorship to help support and propel their rising careers in virology in 2023-2024.

GVN Alumni Networking Series: GVN hosts annual Alumni events to foster collaboration among our more than 90 Academy graduates and our senior scientists. Our networking series will assist in establishing connections that will open doors and ease career transitions. We provide several programs and initiatives for alumni to connect with and learn from one another, as well as from other senior scientists and leaders in the network. It will be a high-impact hybrid series that will provide GVN alumni with insight, information, and connections to help them launch, grow, and expand their bright future. We successfully held a Townhall Meeting in May 2022 and a Career Development Day in June 2022.

GVN Research Internship: Our 8-week paid internship program was created to help high school students get exposed to and discover a career in virology. This is accomplished through an intensive syllabus that assists our interns in identifying their core areas of interest and how to pursue them. In summer 2022, Sofia Krause, a Senior at Greenwich Academy in Connecticut, had the unique opportunity to serve as a research intern for GVN. Read her full internship story here.

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GVN Online Short Course: By partnering with USF Health, we are creating the online version of the in-person GVN Short Course: Emerging Leaders in Virology.  The online course will aim to benefit students, especially in low- and middle-income countries, who are interested in virology, immunology, epidemiology, public health, and biomedical research by allowing all participants the flexibility of anytime, anywhere online learning. More information coming soon.

GVN-Abbott Pandemic Defense Postdoctoral Fellowship Program: This program ensures junior scientists receive elite training in the identification of unknown diseases through surveillance, viral genomic sequencing analysis, and bioinformatics. It also helps build research capacity by enhancing participants’ research portfolios and creating and establishing connections with scientists from developing nations. This program aims to recruit and train one postdoctoral trainee for a 1-year term with the potential to extend to a 2-year program. Click here to view this program.

Advocacy, Communications,
and Public Education

The GVN serves as a resource to governmental and international organizations seeking advice about viral disease threats and prevention or response strategies. It also advocates for research and training on virus infections and their many disease manifestations, and disseminates information to authorities and scientific communities throughout the world. This includes conducting workshops and webinars for journalists and the business community and providing Congressional testimony, opinion pieces, and journal articles. GVN has also provided prompt, fact-based information geared towards better informing the general public. Please find below our various advocacy and communications initiatives that have brought the scientific community together in a common platform to discuss science on a global scale.

Also, the GVN website has a new look! The newly updated website provides a more modern, streamlined layout that will allow GVN to better to its global audience. It provides the latest information on GVN activities, scientific perspectives, upcoming events, and much more.

GVN COVID-19 Variants and Vaccines Resource Portal: GVN to become a worldwide information resource for COVID-19 vaccines and variants.

GVN Monkeypox Information Page: The GVN has added a Monkeypox webpage for information on the global outbreak.

Forefront of Virology: GVN Online Seminars: A webinar series for virology related knowledge sharing, featuring expert virologists from GVN Centers of Excellence around the world. In 2022: 10 seminars.

GVN Scientific Perspectives: A column taking a closer look at the latest scientific progress surrounding virology. In 2022: 18 postings

Weekly GVN Newsletter: The best way to learn about GVN's ongoing activities. In 2022: 34 Newsletters.

GVN Monthly Newsletter: Started in December 2022, we changed the usual GVN newsletter from weekly to monthly. The Monthly Newsletter features the latest GVN announcements, Scientific Perspectives, and Webinars. It also includes spotlights on GVN Centers, Members, and Alumni, and highlights GVN Center Publications and internal and external grant opportunities.

GVN Weekly Guide to Virus News and Publications: GVN offers a constantly updated, optimized list of the most relevant news and publications on COVID-19 and Monkeypox. In the future, this will expand to include a broader group of viruses.

Press releases and Op-eds:

15 Press Releases
31 Unique News Articles
1 Press Conference
5 Blog Posts