Dr. Scott C. Weaver from the Institute for Human Infections & Immunity, The University of Texas Medical Branch will give a guest lecture at IVI on the topic “Re-emerging Alphaviruses: Chikungunya and Western Equine Encephalitis.”

The lecture will take place on Monday, December 14, 2026 at 3:00 pm (s.t.) in the Histology Lecture Hall, Müllerstraße 59, 6020 Innsbruck.

We are delighted to welcome him as our guest and cordially invite all interested parties to attend the lecture and the subsequent discussion.

This event is accredited with 2 DFP points in the subject “Clinical Microbiology and Virology.” In-person attendance is required.

Short Bio

Scott Weaver studied biology and music at the College of William & Mary (1979), then completed a master’s degree in entomology at Cornell University (1982) and a PhD in virology at the University of California, San Diego (1993). After a postdoctoral fellowship in epidemiology and public health at Yale University School of Medicine, he joined the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston in 1994. He became a full professor in 2001 and led the Department of Microbiology and Immunology from 2015 until 2025. He holds the John Sealy Distinguished University Chair in Human Infections and Immunity and serves as Scientific Director of the Galveston National Laboratory.

His research examines how mosquito-borne viruses arise, evolve and spread. It covers Venezuelan equine encephalitis, chikungunya, dengue and Zika viruses, and combines field studies in Latin America and Africa with laboratory work on virus-mosquito interactions and pathogenesis. He has also developed vaccine candidates against several alphaviruses, including those causing chikungunya and equine encephalitis, and holds nine patents. Most recently, he served as UTMB principal investigator on a CEPI-supported project testing a circular RNA vaccine platform against chikungunya. He chairs the Global Virus Network’s Chikungunya and Zika Task Forces and leads several NIH- and CDC-funded centres for emerging viruses and vector-borne diseases. His honours include the Walter Reed Medal of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (2014) and the Global Virus Network’s Robert Gallo Award. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the National Academy of Inventors.