Symposium Overview

The Global Infectious Disease Intelligence Consortium (GIDIC) and the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases (CEID) at the University of Georgia will host a symposium dedicated to furthering understanding of the current outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) in Australia, and its potential for global impact on human and domestic animal populations.

Events will feature a keynote address, lectures by leading scientists from around the world, and breakout sessions on JEV modeling and surveillance, as well as networking events. Some meals will be provided.

Register here. In order to promote wide participation, there is no registration fee for this event.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for individuals or organizations wishing to support GIDIC, CEID, and this event. For more info, or contact ceid@uga.edu or john.king1@uga.edu.

Travel

The closest major airport to Athens is Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta, GA.  The airport offers a large number of non-stop flights to and from communities around the US and the world and is located approximately 80 miles from the UGA campus.

Shuttle transportation from Hartsfield-Jackson to UGA is available through Groome Transportation (http://athens.groometransportation.com/).  There are 23 daily round-trips, costing $49 each way when booked online ($10 more if booked by phone).  Reservations can be made at the above website, or by calling 706-612-1155.

There are also many rental car agencies located at the airport. The drive from Atlanta to Athens is approximately 1.5 hours.

For assistance regarding travel plans, accommodations, etc, please contact
John King at +1.678.614.4785, or by email at john.king1@uga.edu.

 

Accommodation

We are holding a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn Express, in downtown Athens. If you wish to reserve a room at the conference rate of $135 / night (king bed), please indicate so on the registration form. The hotel is a 21 minute walk from the main symposium venue.  View directions on map.

Other hotels within walking distance include the Hilton Garden Inn, The Graduate, and Hotel Indigo.

Invited speakers should contact John King at +1.678.614.4785, or by email at john.king1@uga.edu to finalize lodging & travel details.

For assistance regarding travel plans, accommodations, etc, please contact
John King at +1.678.614.4785, or by email at john.king1@uga.edu.

 

 

Getting Around

Symposium Map

Map of symposium venues and hotel.

Venues
The symposium will be held on the campus of the University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
The main symposium venue is the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases (CEID), on campus. The Welcome event will be held at the Delta Innovation Hub on campus. Additional social events may be held at off campus locations.

Parking
Paid Parking is available at the South Campus Parking Deck on the campus of the University of Georgia, a 5 minute walk from main symposium venue (CEID). The parking deck is accessible from S. Lumpkin Street and from Sanford Drive. Parking in this deck is free to guests of the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel.

Mark Schipp
(Keynote Speaker)
Australian Chief Veterinary Officer

 

Mark Schipp

Mark Schipp

Australian Chief Veterinary Officer
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Keynote Address: Australia’s Response to the 2022 Japanese Encephalitis Virus Outbreak and Lessons Learned

Dr. Mark Schipp was appointed Australian Chief Veterinary Officer in 2011. In 2012 he was elected to the OIE Council and in 2018 was elected President of the OIE General Assembly for a three year term. Together with the Chief Medical Officer, Schipp chairs the Australian Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance. He is also a member of the Animal Health Committee.

Previously Schipp has held positions responsible for animal derived food product inspection, market access and export certification. Schipp served two terms overseas as Agriculture Counsellor in Seoul, South Korea and in Beijing, China.

Schipp is a biology and veterinary graduate of Murdoch University. After graduation he worked with the Western Australian Department of Agriculture.

John M. Drake
Director, CEID & GIDIC,
University of Georgia

John M. Drake

John M. Drake

Regents’ Professor
Distinguished Research Professor
Director, Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases (CEID)
Director, Global Infectious Disease Intelligence Consortium (GIDIC)
University of Georgia

Welcome Address

Path to a spread model for JEV in North America

Panel discussion: What happens if JEV comes to North America?

Dr. John M. Drake is a Regents’ Professor and Distinguished Research Professor in the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. His research seeks to understand the dynamics of biological populations and epidemics, focusing on how to bring experimental and observational data together with mathematical theory.

Biological phenomena of interest include extinction, fluctuations in variable environments, the spatial distribution of populations (niche theory), Allee effects, demographic stochasticity, spatial spread, and near-critical dynamics. Practical applications of this work include decision support for managing invasive species, mapping the spread of infectious diseases, and forecasting disease emergence. Recent projects concern the dynamics of Ebola virus in West Africa, spread of White-nose Syndrome in bats, and the development of a new theory for early warning systems of emerging infectious diseases.

Drake has an interest in history and philosophy of modern (twentieth century) biology. Drake received his PhD from the University of Notre Dame in 2004 and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara, California from 2004-2006. He has been at the University of Georgia since 2006. He was Leverhulme Visiting Professor in the Department of Zoology at Oxford University in 2012.