RATIONALE
As the pandemic seems to start fading away, the flagship annual meeting of the Italian Society of Virology SIV-ISV is back on the agenda. During the past 2 years, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Society was forced to pivot the scientific programs (both the 4th and the 5th SIV-ISV National Congresses) into a totally new format for online consumption. The events, free for all users, were undisputed successes, both from a scientific/educational as well as from a digital technology perspective. The number of registrations increased by almost four-fold when compared with previous editions with a greater proportion of younger and female participants. We come to appreciate the realm of possibilities offered by online conferences but we also missed the opportunity to meet people and to interact with friends and colleagues. Even senior scientists suffered the lack of networking opportunities, but the loss of impromptu interactions at online events made it harder to connect graduate students with senior members of the scientific community.
Therefore, it is a great honor that the city of Naples will host the first resumed in-person SIV-ISV national meeting. In keeping with the tradition, the scientific structure of the Congress features different thematic sessions ranging from general virology such as structural virology, virus-host interactions and pathogenesis, viral genetics, biotechnology and oncogenic viruses to clinical virology with sessions on antiviral therapy and diagnosis, vaccines, epidemiology and diseases, without overlooking veterinary, environmental and plant virology. On the contrary, the meeting will be conceived to promote productive interactions between the different virological souls and we invite participants to explore synergies between different disciplines. Every session starts with Invited Lectures followed by oral communications selected from the “Call for Abstracts”. Specific Symposia mainly dedicated to clinical aspects of virology as well as Poster Exhibition and Discussion will complete the scientific structure of the Congress. Special attention has been given to Young Investigators whose participation has been encouraged by Scholarships.
The 6th National Congress of the Italian Society for Virology has been accredited to the Italian Ministry of Health for CME Credits for the following professionals: Medical Doctor (all disciplines), Biologist, Biotechnologist, Medical laboratory technician, Nurse, Veterinary, Pharmacist, Physicist and Chemist.