HKU-Pasteur Research Pole
Courses Series
Virology Course
The Virology course was initiated in 2004 by Ralf Altmeyer, then head of the HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, and Noël Tordo, currently Director of the Institut Pasteur in Guinea. It has become a reference at the international level by providing state of the art lectures and practical workshops by leading clinicians, virologists, epidemiologists and immunologists, as well as experts in new technologies for diagnosis and therapies, to train postgraduate students and early-career scientists.
Recent epidemics (avian and pandemic influenza, chikungunya, coronaviruses, Ebola, Zika virus etc.) have underscored not only the growing globalization of health issues, but also the intimate relationships between human health, animal health and ecosystems. Our virology courses address the grand challenges of containing emerging viral infections with an inclusive One-Health approach spanning the fields of animal and human health. Each year we analyse in-depth a specific research area, such as Coronaviruses (2019), Bats and viruses (2016), and Outbreaks (2015).
Course Directors
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Ralf Altmeyer (2004-2006)
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Roberto Bruzzone (2007-present)
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Chris Mok (2017-present)
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Malik Peiris (2007-present)
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Noel Tordo (2004-present)
In 2013 we celebrated the 10th edition of the Virology course and the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus by scientists at the Institut Pasteur with a special programme on HIV/AIDS. The highlight of that course was the participation of Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, the 2008 Nobel Prize recipient for her fundamental work in identifying HIV as the cause of AIDS, and a Scientific Symposium featuring alumni of the course who travelled from 10 countries for this special occasion.
Testimonials
Athena Li,
student of the 14th HKU-Pasteur Virology Course and 15th Immunology Course
"Participating in HKU-Pasteur Courses really broadened my horizons on research occurring worldwide. I learnt some valuable skill sets for my PhD during the courses, especially during the practical sessions.
I was lucky enough to have very good role models that tutored me during my Bsc/Msc. I aspire to become resourceful and a creative problem solver like them. I now work on immunology and influenza vaccination strategies, and I am very happy to be part of an international team like we have here at HKU-Pasteur, we really benefit from this multicultural, diverse environment."
Garrick Yip, student of the 15th HKU-Pasteur Virology Course
"I participated in the 2019 Virology Course which focused on coronaviruses. During the course, I not only acquired the up-to-date research knowledge from top speakers in the field, but also had the opportunity to propose a research project to them and receive inspiring comments on experimental design and data presentation.
I am currently conducting my MPhil research at HKU-Pasteur on identifying mammalian-adapting mutations in the viral polymerase complex of avian influenza A viruses."
