This conference grant application requests funds to help support the 22nd International Conference on Kaposi's Sarcoma Herpesvirus and Related Agents in 2019. Our annual conference will bring together researchers and clinicians working on the oncogenic human herpesvirus, Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV), and other closely related pathogens. The funds will be used to reduce the conference registration costs for outstanding US pre- and post- doctoral trainees, historically under-represented minorities, and scientists from poor countries who study oncogenic DNA viruses. The goals of these meetings are consistent with the mission statements of the NIH, NCI, NIAID, and NIDCR, namely, to advance and promote the pace of research on infections associated with human cancer and other diseases, including in the setting of HIV-AIDS. The KSHV conference will be held in New York City and will occur from the evening of June 30 through the morning of July 3, 2019. All remaining costs for these conferences will be raised from registration fees paid by the conferees and contributions from host institutions, foundations, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The main focus of the KSHV meeting is the biology of oncogenic herpesviruses and associated human diseases, with specific emphasis on viral pathogenesis, viral latency and reactivation, viral gene expression and replication, host responses to infection, epidemiology, vaccine development, and therapeutic intervention. In addition to KSHV, studies related to herpesvirus saimiri (HVS), murine herpesvirus-68 (MHV-68), and rhesus rhadinovirus (RRV) will be presented. The 22nd International Conference on Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus and Related Agents is the 25th anniversary of the virus's discovery. ! !
KSHV (HHV-8) is a virus that causes a number of different cancers that still result in many deaths throughout the world. The International 22nd International Workshop on Kaposi's Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV) and Related Agents will serve as the premier forum for the exchange of new research developments in the field. Our goals include exposure of trainees to advances in the field in order to increase their understanding of how these viruses cause cancer, development of prevention strategies and new treatments.
