David Severson, director of the Eck Institute for Global Health and professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, was an invited speaker and co-chair of the vector biology session for a scientific meeting sponsored by the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to explore opportunities for dengue research collaboration in the Americas. The meeting, titled “A Re-Emerging Challenge in the Americas: Opportunities for Dengue Research Collaboration” was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on February 16-18, 2011 and brought together around 100 researchers from around the world.
The scientific meeting addressed a broad spectrum of research areas related to dengue, including basic and applied science in areas from epidemiology, virology, vector biology, pathogenesis, immunology, and the development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.
The objective of the scientific meeting was to provide a forum for exchange of current information regarding dengue research, identify research gaps and priorities, and promote and stimulate new or enhanced research collaborations in the Americas. The conference was co-sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pan American Health Organization.