Join Us on Friday, March 20, 2026 8 AM – 3:30 PM South End Zone
followed by an exhibition and reception at Newman Library
from 4-6pm
Registration due on March 16, 2026!
Step into a day of inspiration! The PPP DA Symposium is bringing together faculty and trainees for an energizing program featuring keynote speaker Michael Imperiale, dynamic breakout sessions, and conversations that spark new ideas. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and shape the future of pandemic prediction and prevention!
Then, from 4–6 PM, join us at Newman Library the debut of our new PPP DA library exhibit. Experience the interactive exhibit that highlights the tools, stories, and science behind pandemic prediction and prevention. It’s the perfect way to cap the day—celebrating research and discovering fresh perspectives across our community.
Agenda
| Time | Event | Speaker | Location |
| 8:00am – 9:00am | Registration and networking coffee | South End Zone | |
| 9:00am – 9:05am | Welcome Address, VP for Research | Dan Sui | South End Zone |
| 9:05am – 9:10am | Welcome Addres, Office of the Provost | Catherine Amelink | South End Zone |
| 9:10am – 9:30am | Introduction to the PPP DA | T. M. Murali | South End Zone |
| 9:40am – 10:30am | Keynote Address, “Emerging Biotechnologies and Pandemic Risks” | Michael Imperiale | South End Zone |
| 10:30am – 10:45am | Coffee break | South End Zone | |
| 10:45am – 12:15pm | Begin “Where are we now?” | Presentations by PPP DA Faculty | South End Zone |
| 10:45 am – 10:57 am | Why Story Matters: Narrative, Trust, and Public Engagement in Pandemic Research | Brittney Harris | South End Zone |
| 10:57am – 11:09am | AI Ethics and Policy Through Theatre: Implications for Pandemic Science | Jon Catherwood-Ginn | South End Zone |
| 11:09am – 11:21am | Cophylogenetic Approaches for Virus-Host Interaction Prediction | Palash Sashittal | South End Zone |
| 11:21am – 11:33am | Use LLMs to Simulate Humans in Epidemiology: Generative Agent-Based Models | Jiaming Cui | South End Zone |
| 11:33am – 11:45am | Leveraging Virus Genetic Diversity for Mapping Virus-Host Interactions and Creating Enhanced Therapeutic Platforms | James Weger | South End Zone |
| 11:45am – 11:57am | Combivir: An AI-Enhanced Pipeline for Dengue Antivirals | Andrew Lowell | South End Zone |
| 11:57am – 12:09pm | Evaluating the effects of disturbed feeding on the vectorial capacity of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes | Kyle Dahlin | South End Zone |
| 12:15pm – 1:30pm | Networking lunch | South End Zone | |
| 1:30pm – 3:30pm | Breakout sessions | South End Zone | |
| 1:30pm – 3:00pm | Grant Writing and Flash Funding | TBD | |
| 1:30pm – 3:00pm | Trainee Connections | TBD | |
| Panelist | Eric Pauley | ||
| Panelist | Nazly Shafagati | ||
| Panelist | David Lyerly | ||
| Panelist | Eric Pauley | ||
| 3:00pm – 3:05pm | Coffee break and Regroup | South End Zone | |
| 3:05pm – 3:25pm | Readout session from breakouts | South End Zone | |
| 3:25pm – 3:30pm | Conclusion | TBD | South End Zone |
| 4:00pm – 6:00pm | PPP DA Exhibit Inauguration and Reception | Newman Library, 2st floor | |
*Details are subject to change as this agenda is tentative. Please continue to check the website for up-to-date information.
Speakers:
T. M. Murali
Director, Pandemic Prediction and Prevention Destination Area and Director, U. S. NSF COMPASS Center
Michael J. Imperiale
Arthur F Thurnau Professor Emeritus, and Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology Medical School, University of Michigan Medical School
Brittney Harris
Assistant Professor of Applied Theatre in the School of Performing Arts and the Co-Director of Research for the Center for Communicating Science, Virginia Tech
Jon Catherwood-Ginn
Assistant Professor of Applied Theatre in the School of Performing Arts and the Co-Director of Research for the Center for Communicating Science, Virginia Tech
Palash Sashittal
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech
James Weger
Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech
Andrew Lowell
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech
Kyle Dahlin
NSF Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech
Eric Pauley
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech
Nazly Shafagati
Scientific Director of Molecular Infectious Disease at Quest Diagnostics
David Lyerly
Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Founder, board member, and Chief Science Officer of TechLab Inc.,
