ISAR News Archive

Previous news, announcements and updates from the International Society for Antiviral Research.

ISAR's President, Dr. Katherine (Kathie) Seley-Radtke, invites and welcomes to ICAR2023, Lyon, France.

February 13, 2023

ISAR's President, Dr. Katherine (Kathie) Seley-Radtke, message for the end of the year announcing ICAR2024, Gold Coast, Australia.

December 11, 2023

O bituary, Leroy B Townsend (1932-2022)

ISAR shares the sad news of the passing away of Leroy B Tonwsend, a much liked long term ISAR member, through John Drach's warm words for his friend and colleague.

November 21, 2022

I ISAR President's Message

The first message of ISAR's new President, Dr. Katherine (Kathie) Seley-Radtke.

June 12, 2022

ISAR Announces Free membership to all undergraduate and graduate students

Starting Monday, May 16, 2022, ISAR membership will be free for all students, undergraduate and graduate- Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to enjoy all ISAR benefits at no cost while you are a student!

May 14, 2022

World Antiviral Congress

ISAR has established a partnership with the World Antiviral Congress (#WAC), such that ISAR members enjoy of a 20% discounted registration to the upcoming WAC, November 27-December 1, San Diego, California.

May 11, 2022

ISAR 2022 Awardees

Starting today, December 10, 2021, ISAR will be announcing the names of the 2022 Society Awardees.

The 2022 ISAR Antonín Holý Memorial Awardee is Prof Mark von Itzstein, whose group designed, synthesized and developed the anti-influenza drug Relenza^®.

The 2022 ISAR Gertrude Elion Memorial Award, sponsored by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, is Dr. George Painter, who led the team developing emtricitabine, the company developing Tembexa, and is now the CEO of DRIVE and the executive director of The Emory Institute for Drug Development.

The 2022 ISAR William Prusoff Memorial Award, supported by a generous endowment from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), is Dr. Priscilla Yang, who is involved in identifying and validating novel antiviral targets.

The 2022 Woman in Science Speaker Award recipient is Dr. Christina Spiropoulou, who has been involved for about 30 years in discovering and studying hemorrhagic fever viruses, including New World hantaviruses, and development counter measurements against them and other hemorrhagic fever viruses.

Dr. J. Victor García-Martinez is the 2022 ISAR Diversity Award recipient. Dr. J. Victor García-Martinez studies pathogenesis of human viruses, and evaluates therapeutic interventions against the diseases they cause, in precise animal models that his group develops and characterizes

ISAR 2021 Leadership Transition

As every year, ISAR leadership was renewed at the end of this year's (virtual) ICAR.

Joanna Rocha-Pereira and Pei-Yong Shi have completed their terms as elected members of the Board of Directors. We would like to recognize Joanna and Pei-Yong for their service to the society and we look forward to their continued involvement in ISAR.

Jessica Spengler and Leen Delang had kindly volunteered to stand for election and were then elected by our membership. We are looking forward to their further service to the society in their new roles as BOD members.

April 8-15, 2021

John C. Martin (1951-2021)

It is with deep feelings that we remember John C. Martin and all his contributions to the lives of so many people living with HIV, HCV, and many other viruses.

April 6. 2021

ISAR Announces the Society 2021 Awardees

Starting On January 5th with the Gertrude Elion Awardee, Dr. William (Bill) Lee, ISAR News will be releasing the biographies and photos of the 2021 ISAR Awardees.

ISAR News is releasing today the biography and photo of our 2021 William Prusoff Awardee, Dr. David Durantel.

Since 2014, Gilead has generously sponsored ISAR Antonin Holý Memorial Awardee, which recognizes a senior scientist in Medicinal Chemistry who has had a major impact on antiviral drug discovery and Development. Please get to know ISAR 2021 Antonin Holý Memorial Awardee, Dr. Eddy Arnold.

Recognizing the diversity limitation in the field in general, and the society in particular, ISAR established last year the Diversity Speaker Award. This award recognizes an outstanding scientist of any group historically underrepresented in our Society who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of antiviral research. Please join us in congratulation ISAR first Diversity Speaker Awardee, Dr. Craig Eugene Cameron, who will be presenting a keynote lecture on his career long fascination with antiviral therapeutics

In 2017, ISAR awarded the first Women in Science Award to Dr. Priscilla Yang. Continuing with the tradition of outstanding women scientists recognized in years past, we introduced this year's ISAR Women in Sciences awardee, Dr. Graciela Andrei.

Bill, David, Arnold, Craig and Graciela will give keynote lectures at virtual ICAR2021, March 22-26, 2021. See you there!

January 15, 2021

New Year's President's Message

Kara Carter, ISAR's president, addresses the challenges of 2020, provides a vision for 2021, and a glimpse of the upcoming virtual ICAR2021, to be held on March 22-26. Click here for more information about the meeting,

January 4, 2021

I ISAR Past, Current, and Elect Presidents discuss our society's efforts to address diversity

ISAR is fully committed to the values and importance of diversity. Responding to the challenge, the society is making a concerted effort to support and enhance its diversity and that of the general field of antiviral research and development. Our President, Kara Carter, together with the President Elect, Kathie Seley-Radtke, and Past President, Johan Neyts, discuss ISAR ongoing efforts to address this critical issue.

September 8, 2020

ISAR’s Leadership 2020

Although we could not gather in Seattle for the annual ICAR meeting this year, ISAR business continues. One critical aspect of the society’s business is the annual transition of leadership. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemia, the annual Board of Directors meeting, which normally takes place during ICAR, could not be held as scheduled this year. Thus, the newly elected officers assumed their positions during a remote Board of Directors meeting held on April 24.

ISAR’s new officers are President Kara Carter, President Elect Kathie Seley-Radtke, and the two new members of the Board of Directors, María-Jesus Pérez-Pérez and Subhash Vasudevan. In addition, Johan Neyts will continue to serve the society, now in his new position of Past President. Meanwhile, José Esté has completed his term as past president, and Jennifer Moffat and Maaike Everts have completed their tenures as members of the Board of Directors. Please join us in thanking José, Jennifer and Maaike for their service and dedication to the society.

The new President’s first message, the past President’s farewell message and the bios of the new elected officers are posted in their respective ISAR News pages.

The new leadership is already working as hard and as enthusiastically as the previous team to ensure that ISAR continues to be a leader in supporting and fostering antiviral research at this critical time. A new resource has already been added to the ISAR News page, listing curated and verified links to relevant high quality information. To support faster development of SARS CoV-2 antivirals, ISAR is now also providing a list of in vitro and in vivo assays available for SARS CoV-2 and other coronavirus testing. You can submit your assay and see the existing assays following the link blow.

Data Compilation for In Vitro Assays and In vivo Models

ISAR is dedicated to promoting connection between scientists to advance antiviral drug discovery and development. Click here if you have an assay or model that could be accessible to advance SARS-CoV-2 active agents, or to view the data that has already been submitted. This list will be available not only to our Society members, but to all researchers in the global community.

May 1, 2020

SARS CoV-2 (previously known as 2019-nCoV) Outbreak - periodic updates

As a service to the community interested in antiviral research and development, ISAR News is publishing in this page a list of curated links to sources with verified and current information; these links are continuously updated at least once daily.

ISAR has adopted the taxonomy and nomenclature just recommended by the Coronavirus Study Group (CSG) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. The virus is now considered a sister to the SARS virus. This group of coronaviruses has been renamed as SARS-CoVs, and the previously known as 2019-nCoV is now named SARS CoV-2.

Considering the large number of peer-reviewed scientific publications now available on this topic, this page is no longer updated in 2021.

12 February 2020

The ICAR Career Development workshop at 2020 ICAR Seattle will not be included in the online meeting.

Due to the SARS C0V-2 COVID outbreak resulting in the replacement of the physical meeting in Seattle by an online remote meeting, this year’s ICAR will not be able to host the Career Development workshop. The online format does not lend itself to the very interactive format of the Career Development Workshop.

See you at the 2021 ICAR Career Development Workshop!

8 March 2020

Archived 33rd ICAR information

This page contains archived information regarding the 33rd 2020 ICAR meeting that was converted into an online meeting as a result of the COVID-19 Outbreak

17 March 2020

ISAR President’s Message (Johan Neyts)

Johan Neyts New Year's message celebrating the upcoming ICAR2020 in Seattle, Washington, March 30-April 3. The final abstract submission deadline is January 27.

10 January 2020

The 2019 Chu Family Foundation (TCFF) Early Career Women in Science Fellows

The Chu Family Foundation Fellowship received many outstanding application this year, resulting in a mathematical tie for third place. There were, thus, four winners this year, two Ph.D. students and to postdoctoral fellows coming from three different continents.

30 July 2019

32^nd ICAR Meeting Report

The 32^nd International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR), sponsored by the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR), was held on May 12–15, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. As every year, Antiviral Research has just published the official meeting report which gives an overview of the conference on behalf of the Society. In the report, you will learn about the many exciting presentations on antiviral research and development in academic, regulatory, start up, mid and large pharmaceutical industry, and who were this year’s ISAR awardees. The report also includes a brief discussion of the many activities that ISAR organizes during the ICAR meetings to support the career development of antiviral researchers and facilitate the translation of scientific discoveries in the field into drugs, vaccines or policies, including the Women in Science Roundtable, Career Development Panel and PechaKucha event. The 33rd ICAR will be held in Seattle, Washington, USA, March 30th-April 3rd, 2020.

30 July 2019

32^nd ICAR’s Poster awards and Pechakucha contest

As every year, the 2019 ICAR meeting presentation were one of the highlights of the meeting. Many an excellent poster and presentation forced the awards committees, chaired by Brian Gentry and Jennifer Moffat (posters) and Kathie Seley-Radtke (Pechakucha), to work extra time selecting the well-deserved winners in each category.

16 July 2019

ISAR President’s message (Johan Neyts)

In the first President’s message in ISAR News online, Johan Neyts discusses the purpose and format of ISAR News online, introduces the new social media lead, Jessica Spangler, and discusses some new initiatives undertaken by the society and its ambassadors program to maximize ISAR’s presence and impact around the planet.

26 June 2019

ISAR NEWS 2.0

An editorial penned by Graciela Andrei and Luis Schang describing the new ISAR News format, including its advantages, its links with ISAR’s social media presence, and your opportunities to get involved. The editorial also describes the rich history of ISAR News under the successive editorships of Bob Sidwell, Hugh Fields, and Anthony Vere Hodge. ISAR News welcomes your input and suggestions.

26 June 2019

ISAR - The third decade

The history of the society and its annual meetings has been chronicled every ten years. ISAR celebrated its 30^th anniversary in 2017, and the third decade booklet (2007-2017), edited by Anthony Vere Hodge, is now available. In this introduction to the booklet, ISAR News discusses its major points and goals. The full first, second, and third decade booklets are available for download.

26 June 2019