On Friday, July 17th, the COVID-19 International Research Team (COV-IRT) will reconvene online to presents its second virtual symposium. The web-only symposium will run from 10:00 a.m. CST to 4:30 p.m. CST and will feature researchers from all over the world discussing COVID-19 related topics including vaccine development, protein modeling, antibodies and much more.

COV-IRT was co-organized by Rice University computer scientist Todd Treangen with the help of his postdoctoral researcher Leo Elworth. Treangen will return again to give the opening welcome along with co-organizer NASA researcher Afshin Beheshti. Rice University Assistant Professor Lauren Stadler from the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering will also speak, her block focusing on the wastewater and environmental aspects of the disease. At the end of the event, Rice Provost Reginald DesRoches will give the closing remarks.

Featured speakers for the events are Melissa Haendel from Oregon Health & Science University and the National COVID Cohort Collaborative; Peter Hotez from the Baylor College of Medicine; Kizzmekia Corbett from NIAID; and Michael Joyner from the Mayo Clinic.

The first symposium, which took place on April 17, was a successful event, quickly filling the 1000 slots on the Zoom streaming platform.

Author: HEATHER FERREYRA