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Infectious diseases are constantly emerging and reemerging worldwide, causing immense threats to the health of humans, animals, and plants. This is especially clear now as researchers tackle the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused more than 16 million human infections worldwide.
To meet this challenge, Virginia Tech has created the Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens.
“The critical mass of Virginia Tech faculty working in the area of infectious disease and pathogens is impressive, and their enthusiasm for the new center is exciting," said Matt Hulver, executive director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute. "Additionally, the creation of this new center could not be more timely.”
The vision of the center positions Virginia Tech to become a national and international research and training resource that is a leader in advancing transformative science and developing effective countermeasures against emerging infectious diseases.
The new center will be administratively established in the Fralin Life Science Institute and will include faculty participants from at least seven colleges and more than 25 departments on campus.
“The mission is to foster and promote a cohesive and synergistic environment for interdisciplinary and collaborative research across the Virginia Tech campus in the area of emerging, re-emerging, infectious diseases,” said X.J Meng, the founding director of the center and University Distinguished Professor of Virology in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
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VT Opens New Infectious Disease Center; Job One: Coronavirus
Even before the coronavirus pandemic began, scientists at Virginia Tech were busy planning a new infectious disease center, focused on disease transmission from animals. Turns out their timing was excellent. Because now, there’s a whole new arsenal being created to fight the current pandemic and perhaps prevent future ones.
They knew it was a matter of when, not if, a virus would jump species and cause widespread illness and death. So, when it began, early this year, dozens of scientists, with specialties in fields like life sciences, veterinary medicine, natural resources and agriculture were already in place to tackle the problem from a variety of angles.
Fralin Life Sciences Institute
Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC)
Integrated Life Science Building (ILSB)
1981 Kraft Dr, Room 2036
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Sarah Gouger
CeZAP Coordinator
sgouger@vt.edu
Phone: 540-231-6084
Integrated Life Sciences Building,
Room 2038
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