23rd Annual Rocky Mountain Virology Association Conference

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Program Summary / Abstract The Rocky Mountain Virology Association (RMVA) will hold its 23rd annual meeting September 29th-October 1st, 2023. 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 (RNA 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, enteric and respiratory viruses (coronaviruses, rotaviruses and caliciviruses), arboviruses (flaviviruses and alphaviruses), prion diseases, organoid models, bat biology and reservoir hosts, host-pathogen interactions, and 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-two years. NIAID support has expanded meeting interest to national and international levels.