Document text
Principal Investigator: Rushika Perera
Organization: COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $7,500
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Program Summary / Abstract
The Rocky Mountain Virology Association (RMVA) will hold its 24th annual meeting September 27th-29th, 2024.
The meeting brings together regional and national investigators in virology and prion biology for a 3-day retreat-
style conference with extensive interaction and collaboration. The original meeting was organized by
investigators in Colorado and Wyoming interested in free and open exchange of scientific data and ideas in
virology in a venue that promotes collaboration among students, post-docs and faculty. Specifically, our annual
meeting at the CSU Mountain Campus encourages young scientists to present their research and receive
feedback from established scientists. The goals are promotion of scientific interactions and training. A major
benefit of participation has been the novel collaborations that arise between scientists in different disciplines.
Topics discussed include medical virology (vaccines, epidemiology, viral zoonoses), arthropod-borne diseases
(viruses, RNA metabolism, viral vectors and vector biology), host defenses (viral immunology and pathogenesis),
prion biology, cancer biology and systems biology. Special sessions on vaccine development, pandemic viruses,
virus discovery and the global impact of viral diseases have been common features. The 2021 meeting had a
retrospective on the COVID-19 pandemic with discussions on successful approaches and establishment of
systems for future challenges. The next meeting will feature discussions on Immune mechanisms of arthropod
vectors, pathogen genomics, arenaviruses, filoviruses, coronaviruses, noroviruses, arboviruses (flaviviruses and
alphaviruses), lentiviruses, prion diseases, paleovirology, neurobiology, host-pathogen interactions, virus
latency, epigenetics and host response. The meeting offers excellent collaborative opportunities. Attendees
include scientists from CSU, University of Colorado, University of Wyoming, University of Northern Colorado, the
Centers for Disease Control (Fort Collins) and the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service, regional biotech companies, and universities in Iowa, Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico
and Utah. The RMVA was incorporated in 2010 as an educational charity (501(c)(3)). Our volunteer board of
directors is charged with encouraging student and junior faculty involvement by minimizing costs as we
encourage women and minorities to participate in all stages of program presentation and development. Our
attendance is limited to a maximum of 125 individuals, and the growth of the meeting to capacity illustrates the
desire of regional scientists to participate. Funds for this proposal are requested to provide minority grants and
childcare, reduced registration fees for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and early-stage investigators,
and for travel and housing for seven invited speakers. Registration fees, charitable contributions, and
sponsorships cover the base costs for the meeting. The RMVA has been a source of communication and
collaboration in the Rocky Mountain region, with outreach across the nation, for twenty-three years. NIAID
support has expanded meeting interest to national and international levels.
Terms: <Accreditation><Agriculture><Alpha Virus><Animal Diseases><Animals><Arboviral><Arboviruses><Arenaviridae><Arenavirus><Arenavirus group><Arthropod Vectors><Arthropod-Borne Viruses><Biology><Biotech><Biotechnology><Breathing><COVID crisis><COVID epidemic><COVID pandemic><COVID-19 crisis><COVID-19 epidemic><COVID-19 era><COVID-19 global health crisis><COVID-19 global pandemic><COVID-19 health crisis><COVID-19 pandemic><COVID-19 period><COVID-19 public health crisis><COVID-19 years><Cancer Biology><Centers for Disease Control><Centers for Disease Control and Prevention><Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)><Charge><Charities><Child Care><Clinical><Collaborations><Colorado><Communicable Diseases><Communication><Coronaviridae><Coronavirus><Data><Dedications><Development><Discipline><Education><Educational aspects><Epidemiologist><Epidemiology><Epigenetic><Epigenetic Change><Epigenetic Mechanism><Epigenetic Process><Faculty><Feedback><Fees><Filoviridae><Filovirus><Flavivirus><Fostering><Funding><Future><Generalized Growth><Goals><Government><Grant><Group A Arboviruses><Group B Arbovirus><Growth><Health><Host Defense><Housing><Idaho><Immune><Immune response><Immunes><Immunological response><Immunologist><Immunology><Individual><Industrialization><Infectious Disease Pathway><Infectious Diseases><Infectious Disorder><Institution><International><Investigators><Iowa><Kansas><Laboratories><Lentivirinae><Lentivirus><Medical><Mentors><Minority><Molecular><Montana><NIAID><National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease><Nebraska><Neurobiology><Neurologist><New Mexico><Norovirus><Norwalk-like Viruses><Orthoflavivirus><Pathogenesis><Pathologist><Persons><Plants><Postdoc><Postdoctoral Fellow><Prion Diseases><Prion Protein Diseases><Prion-Induced Disorder><Prions><Productivity><Puericulture><RNA metabolism><Request for Proposals><Research><Research Associate><Research Personnel><Researchers><Respiratory Aspiration><Respiratory Inspiration><SARS-CoV-2 epidemic><SARS-CoV-2 global health crisis><SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic><SARS-CoV-2 pandemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 epidemic><SARS-coronavirus-2 pandemic><Scientist><Senior Scientist><Services><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 epidemic><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 pandemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 epidemic><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic><Source><Specialist><Specialty><Students><System><Systems Biology><Tissue Growth><Training><Transmissible Dementias><Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies><Travel><Underrepresented Ethnic Minority><Underrepresented Minority><United States Centers for Disease Control><United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention><Universities><Utah><Vaccines><Viral><Viral Diseases><Viral Latency><Viral Vector><Virus><Virus Diseases><Virus Latency><Woman><Wyoming><Zoonoses><Zoonotic><Zoonotic Infection><accredited><arboviral disease><arbovirus disease><arthropod-borne disease><arthropodborne disease><base><bases><biological systems><college><collegiate><conference><convention><corona virus><coronavirus disease 2019 crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic><coronavirus disease 2019 global health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 global pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 health crisis><coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic><coronavirus disease 2019 public health crisis><coronavirus disease crisis><coronavirus disease epidemic><coronavirus disease pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 global pandemic><coronavirus disease-19 pandemic><cost><design><designing><develop a vaccine><develop vaccines><development of a vaccine><developmental><enthusiastic atmosphere><enthusiastic environment><epidemiologic><epidemiological><epigenetically><graduate student><host response><human disease><immune system response><immunoresponse><inspiration><interdisciplinary approach><interest><medical specialties><meeting><meetings><multidisciplinary approach><neurobiological><novel><ontogeny><outreach><pandemic virus><pathogen><pathogen genomics><post-doc><post-doctoral><post-doctoral trainee><prion disorder><programs><research associates><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global health crisis><severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global pandemic><skills><spongiform degeneration><spongiform encephalopathy><summit><supportive atmosphere><supportive environment><symposia><symposium><under-representation of minorities><under-represented minority><underrepresentation of minorities><vaccine development><vector><viral infection><virology><virus infection><virus-induced disease><volunteer>