Immunology

Institute of Virology, Technische Universität München / Helmholtz Zentrum München:  Research at the Institute of Virology is geared toward pathogenic human viruses such as hepatitis viruses, HIV, poxviruses or SARS virus.  Their study focuses on molecular details of the viral replication cycle, host-pathogen interactions and the role of immunity in viral diseases. The institute is equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation, BSL2 and BSL3 laboratories and an immune monitoring unit.  In spring 2013, the Global Virus Network met in Munich to discuss the topics of control of chronic and emerging viral infections. The workshop highlighted the Durability of Vaccine-induced Immune Response, and was led by GVN Co-Founder and International Scientific Advisor, Dr. Robert Gallo and Ulrike Protzer, among other speakers at the event.

The Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre (AIDRC) is a multidisciplinary research centre linking research groups with expertise in virology, bacteriology, parasitology and clinical research at the University of Queensland (UQ) and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (QIMRB). AID’s mission is to utilize leading technologies to identify, understand and prevent infectious diseases. The primary strength of the Virology discipline at the AID is in arbovirology, primarily flaviviruses and alphaviruses. AID also has internationally recognised expertise in HPV, HIV, MERS, Ebola and RSV.

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 Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) is the animal health research program of the Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), a public company of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia (Spain). CReSA is located at the campus of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), working in a new and technologically advanced building with conventional laboratories as well as biocontainment with level-3 biosecurity (BSL3) laboratories and animal facilities. The mission of CReSA is to contribute to the advancement of scientific and technical knowledge on animal health by means of research, knowledge transfer and services to public and private bodies. The long term objective is to globally improve all aspects of animal health that influence the agri-food sector and public health. CReSA researchers’ expertise includes pathology, immunology, bacteriology, virology, entomology, epidemiology and molecular biology, as well as disease animal models. Viral research is focused on endemic and exotic viruses affecting mainly livestock (swine, ruminants and poultry) and occasionally wildlife. Zoonotic viruses including animal influenza viruses, West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever virus and MERS-coronavirus are nowadays significant poles of research.

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.

Finding solutions to prevent, treat and cure infectious diseases and understanding the complexities of microbes and the immune system requires innovative approaches and concentrated effort. This is why the University of Melbourne – a world leader in education, teaching and research excellence – and The Royal Melbourne Hospital – an internationally renowned institution providing outstanding care, research and learning –partnered to create the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute); a centre of excellence where leading scientists and clinicians collaborate to improve human health globally.

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.