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Franco Nuschese Hosts World’s Leading Virus Doctors

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Cafe Milano hosts Global Virus Network Annual Dinner

Cafe Milano hosts Global Virus Network Annual Dinner December 10, 2014

While Washington’s 1%ers enjoyed Cafe Milano’s legendary Branzino and Wagyu beef on the main floor, upstairs in a private room top doctors and health care professionals from around the world celebrated Time Magazine’s Man Of The Year Award that went to their colleagues and friends fighting Ebola.

The Annual Dinner of the Global Virus Network brings together the virologists who work with countries to create and execute protocols to protect and prepare the world’s populations from viruses that quickly spread. As alway, Dr. Robert Gallo and Dr. Billy Hall, GVN co-founders, updated the crowd on progress. Other GVN guests included Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, President of GVN; Tim Moynahan, Chairman of the Board of Directors; and Dr. Erica Saphire, Co-Director of the GVN Center of Excellence at The Scripps Research Institute and one of the leading researchers on Ebola in the United States.

Mathew Evins, a member of the Board of Directors, moderated questions from audience that included Gina Adams, Corporate Vice President Government Affairs, Fedex, and member of the Board of Directors of GVN, the Washington Post’sRoxanne Roberts and FishbowlDC’s new editor Damon Marx.

Global Virus Network Party Hosted by Cafe Milano’s Franco Nuschese

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Only Franco Nuschese could bring together such an esteemed crowd to talk about global health concerns. At his fabulous home in Northwest Washington he brought together top scientists and advocates at a reception for the Global Virus Network. Dr. Robert Gallo, who co-discovered the AIDS virus and is also the co-founder and scientific director of the GVN, gave remarks to help the crowd understand the importance of the GVN and its funding.

In welcoming the group, Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, President of GVN, noted that “the toll of viral diseases goes beyond human health, making enormous impacts on economies, as in the case of SARS and HIV/AIDS as only two examples, and in national security, when put in terms of military preparedness. We cannot think of viral disease only with respect to the health sector.”

Surrounded by GVN Board Chairman Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and new board members including Dr. William Haseltine, Dr. Zaid Al Siksek and Gina Adams among other members of the board. Dr. Gallo warned the crowd of the importantance of having a non-governmental private network of scientist who can coordinate a Response to viruses as they come up.

Recommending “centers of excellence” with top virologists to immediately respond and coordinate information for viral threats. Kennedy Townsend related the importance of giving to a group like the GVN. “It is a global network,” she told the crowd. “These scientists talk to one another and learn form one another.” She recalled at a GVN event when scientists from Michigan met a group from Japan and learned of the similarities between two viruses each team thought were one-of-a-kind.

Guests included Ambassador Louis Moreno, Ambassador Mauro Vieira, Daryl Edwards on behalf of the Australian Ambassador along with Washington media types like Steve Clemons, Jim Pinkerton, Janet Donovan and Tammy Haddad enjoying a reception buffet with Mary Katherine Steel, Ellie Schafer, Heather Rothenberg and Heather Baker.

You can watch select parts of the program below:

You can learn more about GVN here.