Over 250 scientists from around the world attended the 2013 Arthropod Genomics Symposium and VectorBase Workshop. For the first time the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame hosted this annual event of professional scientists and researchers. Presenters included those at the forefront of developing genomic approaches to arthropods, both model organisms and those of agricultural or health relevance. “We were amazed and honored by the turn out for this event,” stated Mary Ann McDowell, PhD, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Chair of the Eck Institute for Global Health Faculty Advisory Committee, who chaired the conference. “Notre Dame has a long history as a leader in vector and pathogen research and we discovered many professionals in the field were eager for the opportunity to visit the campus and attend the symposium.”
 

The John A. Lynch Lecture Series hosted the keynote address delivered by Serap Aksoy, Professor of Epidemiology at Yale University. In addition to McDowell, the Eck Institute for Global Health planning committee included members; Michael Pfrender, PhD, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Scott Emrich, PhD, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, and Molly Duman Scheel, PhD, Associate Professor of Medical and Molecular Genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine – South Bend, and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.

“This symposium is an excellent venue to highlight Notre Dame faculty and facilities at the forefront of this research,” said Robert Bernhard, PhD, Vice President for Research. “We welcome and support researchers who have come to campus from around the world for scientific exchange and the development of new or well-established collaborations. There are many strong research traditions at Notre Dame and this is one.”

Special thanks to our many sponsor including: Kansas State University; University of Illinois; VWR International; The University Notre Dame Colleges of: Science and Engineering; the University of Notre Dame Departments of: Biological Sciences and Computer Sciences and Engineering; Office of Vice president for Research; Environmental Change Initiative; and the Graduate School. We also thank Notre Dame alumna Trisha Curtin, MD, Class of 1980, and the South Bend medical practice of Michiana Pediatrics for their generous support to help students attend the event.

The University of Notre Dame will again be host to the Arthropod Genomics Symposium in 2017.