Science Summit at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78)

The recently formed Institut Pasteur – UCSF QBI Center of Excellence in Emerging Infectious Diseases (Institut Pasteur – UCSF QBI Center) is a global research network of centers to develop and apply the most advanced technologies, biosafety laboratories and animal facilities to investigate the fundamental bases of (re-)emerging infectious diseases and to rapidly react globally in case of an outbreak. Studies are wide-ranging, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, and through the COVID pandemic have shown how this collaborative research network can lead to new approaches for treatment and prevention. This partnership leverages the Institut Pasteur – UCSF QBI Center’s global network of sites to build locally-owned, internationally-connected data and research partnerships to ensure we can identify and respond to infectious disease threats before they become a global problem. It was created during the pandemic, as the collaborative research was critical to shortening research timelines, and aims to create processes and data sharing networks to support even more rapid collaboration and scientific discovery. In addition, this collaboration highlights and celebrates women in science and science diplomacy, both in line with UN Sustainability goals. This session will highlight women scientists leading the collaborative IP-QBI research, discuss the goals of this collaboration and early successes of a connected global network to fast-track infectious diseases research to improve health security.