TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Virus Network (GVN) is pleased to announce that, for the first time, it is awarding pandemic preparedness research grants, totaling $160,000, to GVN scientists across four continents. These awards support innovative, investigator-led projects designed to enhance viral surveillance, early detection, and scientific preparedness, particularly in regions vulnerable to emerging and re-emerging viral threats.

“These projects represent exactly the kind of targeted, interdisciplinary innovation that can help prevent the next pandemic,” said Robert C. Gallo, MD, co-founder and international scientific director of the GVN. “From the study of microbes and AI to on-the-ground diagnostics in rural communities, these teams are building a new global frontline for outbreak detection and response.” Dr. Gallo is also the James P. Cullison Professor of Medicine and director of the Institute of Translational Virology and Innovation at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, and director of the Microbial Oncology Program at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Cancer Institute.

Grant Recipients Include:

• Moussa Sarr, MD, MPH of the Institut de Recherche en Santé, de Surveillance Epidemiologique et de Formations (IRESEFF), Senegal, received a grant for a six-month pilot to deploy decentralized diagnostics and an AI-driven surveillance system to combat recurring dengue epidemics in Senegal.
  
• Ann Kathrin Dietzsch, PhD of the Robert Koch-Institut (RKI), Germany, was awarded a grant for virus discovery in elephants and mosquitoes in Sri Lanka, addressing zoonotic spillover risks.
  
• Ana Da Silva Filipe, PhD of the University of Glasgow, UK, received a grant to profile tick-borne viruses in Kenyan pastoralist communities using next-generation sequencing and serological assays.
  
• Caitlin Cotter, DVM, MPH, PhD of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), USA, received a grant for a One Health surveillance system targeting Lassa fever in Nigeria, focusing on bioaerosol environmental sampling.
  
• Jorge Osorio, DVM, PhD, MS of the University of Wisconsin in a collaboration with the One Health Consortium, Colombia, received a grant to develop a rapid field-based test to differentiate dengue serotypes using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and IntelliSense technology.
  
• Suleiman Idris Ahmad, MBBS, MPH of the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition, Nigeria, was awarded a grant to expand post-mortem surveillance for infectious causes of death in Sokoto State, Nigeria, using polymerase chain reaction testing, rapid diagnostic tests, and metagenomic next-generation sequencing.
  
• Joshua Anzinger, PhD of the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, received a grant to establish dengue wastewater surveillance in Kingston in partnership with the University of Miami.
  
• Victoria Etuk, MPH of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria, was awarded a grant to build a wastewater-based system in Nigeria for early detection of emerging pathogens, using metagenomics, geospatial mapping, and AI tools.
  
• Rubens Alves, MSc, PhD of the Institut Pasteur São Paulo, Brazil, received a grant to integrate AI tools into influenza wastewater surveillance for real-time outbreak prediction and vaccine formulation support.
  

Mathew Evins, Chief Executive Officer of the GVN, noted, “The selected projects were chosen through a competitive review process and reflect the GVN’s commitment to advancing independent, data-driven research that strengthens the global response to viral threats.”

While each study is investigator-defined, together they represent a diverse portfolio of work spanning diagnostics, genomics, One Health, field surveillance, and AI-enhanced monitoring. “These awards are an important investment in local research leadership, particularly in regions on the front lines of emerging infectious diseases,” said Quarraisha Abdool Karim, PhD, co-director of the GVN Center of Excellence at CAPRISA, South Africa. “By equipping scientists in these communities with support and visibility, we help create a stronger, faster, and more equitable global response to mitigate future pandemic threats.”

For more information about GVN and future research opportunities, visit www.gvn.org.

Media Contact:
Nora Samaranayake
nsamaranayake@gvn.org

About the Global Virus Network
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is a worldwide coalition comprising 90+ 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