International Retrovirology Association

1st-11th Conferences

1st International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

Honolulu, Hawaii - February, 1988

2nd International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

Port of Spain, Trinidad - March, 1989

3rd International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

Maui, Hawaii - February, 1990

4th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

Montego Bay, Jamaica - February, 1991

5th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

Kumamoto, Japan - May, 1992

6th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

Absecon, New Jersey - May, 1994

Program and abstracts from the 6th Conference are published in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses

7th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

Paris, France - October, 1995

By William Blattner,

Published in Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes

The 7th Conference commemorated the 15th anniversary of the discovery of the first human oncoretrovirus, HTLV-1, and the 10th anniversary of the uncovering of its role in degenerative neurological diseases. The scientific program offered a comprehensive presentation of all aspects of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 research: molecular virology, clinical and molecular epidemiology, and the control of associated diseases. It included sessions on simian oncoretroviruses (STLV-1 and STLV-2), human endogenous retroviral sequences and spuma-virinae-areas important to the comparative approach to human retroviruses. The high quality and wide range of expertise and energy displayed by the presenters at this productive conference were remarkable; they assure forward progress for the Association.I am confident about the future of the Association. The officers and Advisory Board are reflective of our world-wide membership (32 countries were represented at the Paris meeting), and we are well organized with active standing committees eager to manage information between meetings so that appropriate decisions can be made quickly. The Site Selection Committee is already busy planning for the spring 1997 meeting in Brazil and developing a protocol to govern the selection and scheduling of future meetings; the Communications Committee is working on establising an Internet bulletin board by early next year and is considering other ways to apply state-of-the-art technology to facilitate information exchanges, publication of meeting proceedings, and maintaining a complete, current membership list on-line. Nothing succeeds like success. Our economic base is stable but increased resources will be needed to insure continuation of past programs and to implement new initiatives such as the $10,000 Scholarship Fund established by the Advisory Board to support travel awards for young investigators. We expect to place increasing attention on the plight of scholars in developing countries where scholarship aid is the sine qua non of attendance. We will need the active participation of Association members to help us identify and develop new sources of public and private funding to fulfill our ambitious agenda. Economic development is one of the many challenges confronting the Association in the months ahead. Others include: finding ways to increase the participation of scientists from the developing world; funding and mentoring young scholars; focusing educational efforts on high risk populations; and developing strategies to stimulate additional funding for non-HIV retroviral research-these viruses provide important models for the study of cancer, neurologic and autoimmune diseases. All of these challenges will create opportunities to increase our effectiveness as an Association committed to ending the public health threat presented by retroviruses. I am looking forward to meeting these challenges with vigor and imagination, through the coordinated efforts of Association leaders and our powerful membership.

8th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - June, 1997

9th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV and Related Viruses

Kagoshima, Japan - April, 1999

Program and abstracts from the 9th Conference are published in Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes

10th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

Dublin, Ireland - June, 2001

11th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV

San Francisco, California - June, 2003

Program and abstracts from the 11th Conference are published in AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses