Nonprofit Medical Virology Organization Brings Together Top Global Virologists to Combat Disease

Baltimore, MD, April 11, 2013 – The University of Maryland (UM) BioPark announced today that the Global Virus Network (GVN) is the Park’s newest tenant. The GVN is a non-profit organization comprised of the top medical virologist in more than 30 institutions spanning 21 nations – and growing. GVN's mission is to combat emerging pandemic viral threats and current viral killers through international collaborative research, training the next generation of medical virologist, education and advocacy. 

Said Jim Hughes, President, Research Park Corporation, University of Maryland Baltimore, “It’s exciting for the UM BioPark to include the prestigious Global Virus Network as one of our tenants. We are also pleased to be able to offer GVN continued close proximity to its Scientific Director, Co-Founder, and world-renowned virus researcher Dr. Robert Gallo from the UM School of Medicine, whose Institute of Human Virology is located conveniently just down the street from the GVN’s new BioPark headquarters.” 

GVN will support its scientists through small grants to allow new lines of research to move forward. To ensure that medical virologists are in place to address future, yet unimagined viral challenges, GVN provides training fellowships for tomorrow’s leaders. GVN scientists share ideas and information to avoid duplicative research. And, in outbreak situations, GVN experts stand ready to provide critical insights on any of the 40 classes of viruses causing human disease to assist with containment and prevention measures.

“Moving to the UM BioPark is a great step forward for the Global Virus Network team as we graduate from our incubator space within the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the UM School of Medicine,” said Sharon H. Hrynkow, Ph.D., Global Virus Network President. “We chose the City of Baltimore as the home of our global headquarters given Governor Martin O’Malley’s strong support for global start-ups as well as the proximity to IHV, a GVN Center of Excellence, and still our greatest supporter. 

“Joining Dr. Gallo as cofounders of the GVN are Dr. William Hall from Ireland and Dr. Reinhard Kurth from Germany. With the UM BioPark’s strong record of success in helping to grow young organizations, GVN has the best of all worlds,” she added.  

About Global Virus Network (GVN)

The Global Virus Network (GVN) is a non-profit organization comprised of leading medical virologists from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and other nations. The GVN’s mission is to combat emerging pandemic viral threats and current viral killers through international collaborative research, training the next generation of medical virologists, education and advocacy. For more information, please contact Nora Grannell at [email protected].

About the University of Maryland BioPark

The UM BioPark is a biomedical research park on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The BioPark welcomes additional life science companies to join its growing scientific community of emerging, high-growth life science tenants and University of Maryland (UM) translational research and clinical treatment centers. For early-stage to mature bioscience companies, the BioPark offers a sophisticated laboratory and office environment on the UM’s vibrant academic medical center campus. Community members are commercializing new drugs, diagnostics and devices and advancing biomedical research. Learn more about BioPark tenants.

###

Media contacts:

For the UM BioPark:
Jamie Lacey-Moreira
[email protected]
410-299-3310

For GVN:
Nora Grannell
[email protected]
410-706-1966