GloPID-R members hosted the “GloPID-R Zika Virus Research Workshop” in Sao Paulo, Brazil on November 30 – December 2, 2016 to facilitate collaboration between members on Zika funded research projects.

The workshop’s aim was to identify and establish collaboration and synergies between the research and capacity development projects in support of the Zika virus response in Latin America and the Caribbean funded by GloPID-R members worldwide. It addressed the state of the outbreak, the ongoing research and the potential for collaboration across research groups. It also included discussions on the North-South partnerships, the use of common study protocols and governance structures, as well as data sharing.

The workshop brought together almost 70 participants, both funders and researchers, from nearly 50 different institutions, from 17 countries across the globe, as well as from the European Commission, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The workshop was built around four themes:

• Clinical spectrum of Zika virus infection
• Pathogenesis of Zika virus infection
• Diagnostics for Zika virus infection
• Vector studies

And two focus areas:

• Data sharing in public health emergencies
• Clinical trial networks and preparedness

This Zika workshop was co-organized by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the International Development Research Centre, the European Commission and the University of Sao Paulo.

Read on for a summary of the workshop