2016 Colorado alphaherpesvirus latency society symposium

Excerpt

The 6th annual symposium of the Colorado Alphaherpesvirus Latency Society (CALS) convened 68 investigators who authored over 2,866 PubMed-listed articles focused on herpesvirology and traveled over 130,000 miles to attend the 2-day conference last May 19–20, 2016. Clinical scientists and basic researchers from Australia, Israel, Germany, Belgium, England, Scotland, and from universities throughout the USA discussed new information about herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, varicella zoster virus, bovine herpesvirus, and pseudorabies virus latency (Fig. 1). In addition to 29 oral presentations by established investigators, 10 posters together with oral summaries were presented by graduate students and new investigators. Dr. James Eberwine from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine presented the plenary talk describing transcriptome variability in adult human and mouse neuronal cells with the insights it has provided into cell identity and function. This featured presentation by an expert non-virologist neuroscientist helped attendees view alphaherpesvirus latency from a different perspective. Another highlight of 2016 CALS was the Friday night fireside chat focused on topics of interest not formally covered during the presentations. The relaxed setting of The Christiania Lodge nestled in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains provided an ideal location to establish new collaborations, strengthen existing partnerships and train the next generation of clinical/basic research scientists devoted to the ultimate elimination of disease caused by alphaherpesvirus reactivation. A brief summary of the presentations follows.

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