TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition of leading medical virologists representing 80+ Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in 40+ countries, today announced the addition of three new Centers of Excellence: the USF Health Institute for Translational Virology and Innovation at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Florida, USA, the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in Brazil, and the Pathogen Research Centre (PaRC) at Western University in Canada.
With these additions, GVN strengthens its presence across the Americas and advances global capacity to address viral threats ranging from HIV and arboviruses to emerging pathogens and future pandemic agents.
“GVN’s new Centers of Excellence embody the collaborative spirit and scientific leadership required to meet our world’s most pressing virological challenges,” said Robert C. Gallo, MD, co-founder and international scientific director of the GVN and director of the newly established USF Health Institute for Translational Virology and Innovation. “At USF Health, our Institute is advancing research to combat viral and immune-related threats worldwide, from virus-associated cancers and HIV to respiratory diseases and pandemic pathogens. Together with colleagues in Brazil and Canada, we are expanding GVN’s global network of innovation, education, and preparedness.”
The USF Health Institute for Translational Virology and Innovation
The University of South Florida recently launched the USF Health Institute for Translational Virology and Innovation under the leadership of world-renowned scientist Dr. Robert C. Gallo, who is also the James P. Cullison Professor of Medicine at the USF Morsani College of Medicine and director of the microbial oncology program at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute. Located in the USF Research Park, the Institute advances research on viruses and immune-related diseases with direct relevance to clinical medicine and global public health.
The Institute focuses on how viruses and microbes drive cancer, immune dysfunction, and chronic disease, spanning HIV and HTLV-1, viral oncology, and respiratory viruses, with a future focus on adding expertise in mosquito-borne viruses, and HPV and EBV malignancies. New initiatives in bioinformatics and genomic surveillance aim to enhance pandemic preparedness in collaboration with GVN’s international network.
As a GVN Center of Excellence co-located with the network’s international headquarters, the Institute serves as a multidisciplinary hub for research, training, and collaboration. “Having the Institute co-located with the GVNs international headquarters creates a truly unique environment where discovery, education, and global coordination happen side by side,” said Dr. Gallo. “It allows our scientists and trainees to work in real time with international partners and with our colleagues across USF Health, advancing a common mission to strengthen research, education, and preparedness for viral threats everywhere.”
Through affiliations such as the USF Health College of Public Health, led by Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, who also serves as chief medical officer of the GVN, the USF Microbiomes Institute led by Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, who serves as vice chair of the GVN board of directors, and the TGH Cancer Institute, as well as partnerships across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia, the Institute bridges discovery and clinical innovation. Its high-containment infectious disease sorting core (biosafety level 3 or BSL-3), international training programs, and collaborations with industry and public health agencies accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries into real-world solutions while preparing the next generation of virologists to strengthen pandemic preparedness and global health.
The Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the Federal University of São Paulo
The Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) is one of Brazil’s most respected biomedical institutions, with over 80 years of leadership in microbiology, immunology, and parasitology. UNIFESP played a pivotal role in Brazil’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and continues to drive innovation in HIV research, arboviruses such as Dengue and Chikungunya, and emerging pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 and monkeypox.
Equipped with advanced BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories, UNIFESP fosters multidisciplinary research that blends molecular diagnostics, genomic surveillance, and public health interventions. Its virology leadership includes Luiz Mário Ramos Janini, MD, PhD, professor at UNIFESP and a veteran in HIV research with around 100 scientific publications.
UNIFESP expects to reinforce pandemic preparedness against new emergent and reemergent viral infectious diseases through both viral surveillance and evaluation of humoral responses against such pathogens.
“UNIFESP has been at the forefront of Brazil’s response to viral epidemics, beginning with HIV/AIDS,” said Dr. Janini, director of the new GVN Center of Excellence at UNIFESP. “As a GVN Center of Excellence, we are focused on strengthening regional scientific capacity and fostering South-South collaboration to advance global knowledge and preparedness. By linking Brazil’s deep expertise in HIV and arboviruses with the GVN network, we can accelerate innovation and expand opportunities for researchers across Latin America to contribute to solutions that protect global health.”
The Pathogen Research Centre (PaRC) at Western University
Western University in London, Ontario, one of Canada’s leading research-intensive institutions, hosts the Pathogen Research Centre (PaRC) within its Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. PaRC is dedicated to understanding pathogen biology and developing interventions to mitigate viral threats. Building on Western University’s leadership in Canada’s SARS-CoV-2 pandemic response, its globally recognized expertise in infectious diseases, and its vast network of partner hospitals and Containment Level 2 Plus (CL2+) and Level 3 (CL3) facilities, PaRC, the GVN’s only Center of Excellence in Canada, is positioned to significantly strengthen the network’s global coalition to address viral threats.
Led by Eric J. Arts, PhD, executive director of the Imaging Pathogens for Knowledge Translation (ImPaKT), professor of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and Canada’s research chair in HIV pathogenesis and viral control, Richard Gibson, MSc, director of operations at ImPaKT, and Miguel E. Quiñones-Mateu, PhD, scientific director of PaRC, Western University’s research chair in viral pathogenesis, and professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, PaRC’s team of multidisciplinary researchers combines expertise in virology, biotherapeutics, engineering, and biotechnology to study virus evolution and pathogenesis and to develop novel antiviral strategies and vaccines.
PaRC’s Microenvironmental Transmission Research Facility (MiTra) features a first-of-its-kind real-world testing environment designed to study viral transmission in human and animal settings, advance understanding of airborne spread locally and globally, and collaborate with industry partners to test new technologies that prevent pathogen transmission.
Through its GVN designation, PaRC aims to establish productive scientific collaborations that enhance global pandemic preparedness and cultivate a multidisciplinary talent pipeline by equipping emerging researchers with hands-on experience in virology, infectious disease, and biomedical innovation. “Joining the GVN represents an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen our international research partnerships and build the scientific capacity needed for future pandemic readiness,” said Dr. Quiñones-Mateu, director of the GVN Center of Excellence at Western University. “Through PaRC, Western will integrate state-of-the-art testing environments with industry partnerships and mentorship programs to empower young scientists and accelerate innovations in vaccine and therapeutic development that will shape the future of global health.”
Media Contact:
Nora Samaranayake
nsamaranayake@gvn.org
About the Global Virus Network
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is a worldwide coalition comprising 80+ Virology Centers of Excellence and Affiliates across 40+ countries, whose mission is to facilitate pandemic preparedness against viral pathogens and diseases that threaten public health globally. GVN advances knowledge of viruses through (i) data-driven research and solutions, (ii) fostering the next generation of virology leaders, and (iii) enhancing global resources for readiness and response to emerging viral threats. GVN provides the essential expertise required to discover and diagnose viruses that threaten public health, understand how such viruses spread illnesses, and facilitate the development of diagnostics, therapies, and treatments to combat them. GVN coordinates and collaborates with local, national, and international scientific institutions and government agencies to provide real-time virus informatics, surveillance, and response resources and strategies. GVN's pandemic preparedness mission is achieved by focusing on Education & Training, Qualitative & Quantitative Research, and Global Health Strategies & Solutions. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org
