United States

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multi-specialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. In 2018, there were 7.9 million total outpatient visits, 238,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 220,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Its research facilities encompass over 700,000 sq ft of laboratory space on campus with nearly 2,000 researchers and support personnel and an annual research budget exceeding $300 million.  Lerner Research Institute (LRI) is home to basic, translational, and clinical research at Cleveland Clinic. With its level of funding from federal and, non-federal sources, the LRI ranks in the top 10 Institutes in the country in terms of research success.  Its 30-year history of groundbreaking advances in antiviral innate immunity research makes Cleveland Clinic an internationally recognized institution in this area of research. These advances include many fundamental discoveries on interferon signal transduction and antiviral pathways. Among the members of the GVN center will be leading investigators in viral-host interactions, encompassing antiviral drug development, immune modulatory therapies, and emerging viral pathogens. The center also includes the recently established Florida Research and Innovation Center (FRIC) in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, dedicated to the advancement of innovative translational research focused on immuno-oncology and infectious diseases.

The Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology (MIP) Department is comprised of over 400 individuals who share a common passion for solving some of the most important human and animal health problems today. Research programs include those related to mycobacteria, retroviruses, prions, and arthropod-borne infectious diseases, as well as the diagnostic investigation of naturally-occurring animal diseases. A leader in education, MIP provides the only microbiology undergraduate degree program in Colorado, a graduate program that provides training in a number of cutting-edge disciplines, and several specialized veterinary residency training programs.

Virology and immunology research at Gladstone is focused primarily on three primary and urgent challenges in HIV/AIDS. We desperately need a vaccine for those at risk of coming in contact with the virus, as well as a cure for the millions of people who are already infected. And finally, we need new approaches for restoring a normal lifespan to those who are HIV-positive—but dying much too early from diseases of aging. In addition to HIV, we’re working on a variety of other areas of investigation: Gladstone scientists are looking for new biological targets for drugs that will attack the hepatitis C virus—which has infected 170 million people worldwide. Hepatitis C is a common co-infection with HIV/AIDS. We are also investigating the molecular structure of viruses associated with cancer—and how to remove them from the body as a way to reduce the risk of cancer. And we are investigating why newborns and infants mount less effective immune responses to viruses than adults do.

The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) is the first center in the United States – perhaps the world – to combine the disciplines of basic science, epidemiology and clinical research in a concerted effort to speed the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics for a wide variety of chronic and deadly viral and immune disorders – most notably HIV, the cause of AIDS. Formed in 1996 as a partnership between the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, the University System of Maryland and the University of Maryland Medical System, IHV is an institute of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is home to some of the most globally-recognized and world-renowned experts in the field of human virology.

The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) is the first center in the United States – perhaps the world – to combine the disciplines of basic science, epidemiology and clinical research in a concerted effort to speed the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics for a wide variety of chronic and deadly viral and immune disorders – most notably HIV, the cause of AIDS. Formed in 1996 as a partnership between the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, the University System of Maryland and the University of Maryland Medical System, IHV is an institute of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is home to some of the most globally-recognized and world-renowned experts in the field of human virology.

The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), which has campuses in both Rockville, MD and La Jolla, CA, has become a major center in virology research. The thread that runs through all JCVI research is genomics, i.e. analysis of the genetic material of populations of organisms, organisms, cells, and viruses. The virology program at JCVI conducts research focused primarily on genomics, evolution, pathogenesis, and vaccine development. The JCVI virology community is composed of representatives from every group in the institute: infectious diseases, human genomics, bioinformatics, synthetic biology, and environmental genomics. JCVI virology may be best known for sequencing thousands of complete influenza virus genomes, and the viral genomics program also has expertise in sequencing, assembly, and annotation of many other virus families. Thus, the ability of JCVI to rapidly isolate, sequence, analyze and synthesize virus genomes through a fully integrated workflow infrastructure makes JCVI unique as a possible rapid response center and therefore a valuable partner in the GVN.

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is part of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland and is composed of ten academic departments. As the first independent, degree-granting institution for research and training in public health, and the largest public health training facility in the United States, the Bloomberg School is a leading international authority on the improvement of health and prevention of disease and disability. The school’s mission is to protect populations from illness and injury by pioneering new research, deploying its knowledge and expertise in the field, and educating scientists and practitioners in the global defense of human life. The school is ranked first in public health in the U.S. News and World Report rankings and has held that ranking since 1994.

The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University creates transformative technological breakthroughs by engaging in high-risk research, crossing disciplinary and institutional barriers, to develop new engineering solutions for healthcare, energy, architecture, robotics, and manufacturing. Our technologies are translated into commercial products and therapies through collaborations with clinical investigators, corporate alliances, and formation of new startups

The Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Michigan was founded in 1958. Since then, the division has become recognized nationally for an exemplary record of patient care, research and teaching. In addition to the regular Infectious Diseases Outpatient Service, an Immunization and Overseas Travel Consultation Service is available for consultation, general health advice, and immunizations for both domestic and international travel. The University of Michigan Health System is among the best in the world, ranked in the top 15 health systems in the country in the most recent U.S. News and World Report. The Department of Internal Medicine consists of over 600 full time academic faculty, and is ranked fourth in the country in NIH research dollars.

Over the last five years, the URMC has garnered more than $1.18 billion in biomedical research funding, common and rare illnesses, landing the University in the top 26th percentile of U.S. medical centers in Federal research funding. Coupled with one million square feet of state-of-the-art research space, and high-end support services and shared resources, we’re building upon this strong legacy of research every day. Our scientists contributed vaccine technology: HPV vaccine, protecting against cervical cancer, newborns worldwide receive a vaccine that URMC researchers created against Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib), virtually wiping out a leading cause of meningitis in preschoolers. And we conducted the first pivotal, H5N1 bird flu efficacious and safety study, and ready to administer if faced with a pandemic. The Medical Center also has a long history in HIV research, being one of the first sites in the United States to conduct HIV vaccine studies. The NIH-sponsored University of Rochester HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, or The Rochester Victory Alliance, participated in more than 275 HIV treatment and vaccine trials, enrolling upwards of 3,500 volunteers since 1987.