Over 250 scientists from around the world attended the 2013 Arthropod Genomics Symposium and Vector Base Workshop from June 12-15, 2013 at the University of Notre Dame. This was the first time the Eck Institute for Global Health hosted this annual event of professional scientists and researchers. Presenters included researchers at the forefront of developing genomic approaches to arthropods, both model organisms and those of agricultural or health relevance. “We were amazed and honored by the turn out for this event,” stated Mary Ann McDowell, associate professor of biological sciences and chair of the Eck Institute for Global Health faculty advisory committee, who chaired the conference. “Notre Dame has a long history as a leader in vector and pathogen research and we discovered that many professionals in the field were eager for the opportunity to visit the campus and attend the symposium.”
The John A. Lynch Lecture Series sponsored the keynote address delivered by Serap Aksoy, professor of epidemiology at Yale University. In addition to McDowell, the symposium planning committee included Michael Pfrender, associate professor of biological sciences; Scott Emrich, assistant professor of computer science and engineering; and Molly Duman Scheel, associate professor of medical and molecular genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine – South Bend and adjunct associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Notre Dame.
“This symposium is an excellent venue to highlight Notre Dame faculty and facilities at the forefront of this research,” said Robert Bernhard, vice president for research. “We welcome and support researchers who have come to campus from around the world for scientific exchange and the development of new or well-established collaborations. There are many strong research traditions at Notre Dame and this is one.”
The Eck Institute for Global Health would like to extend a special thanks to our many sponsors: College of Science, College of Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Office of Vice President for Research, Environmental Change Initiative, the Graduate School, Kansas State University, University of Illinois and VWR International. We also thank Notre Dame alumna Trisha Curtin, M.D., Class of 1980, and the South Bend Medical Practice of Michiana Pediatrics for their generous support to help students attend the event.
The University of Notre Dame will again be host to the Arthropod Genomics Symposium in 2017.