International Society for antiviral research

Our first editor, Bob Sidwell, conversing with George Galasso at the 18thICAR in Barcelona, 2005

Since 1991, ISAR News has kept us informed about the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR) as well as the latest developments in antiviral research. The newsletter has been published thanks to the outstanding dedication and efforts of the editors-in-chief through the years,Bob Sidwell, Hugh J Field, and Anthony Vere Hodge, and, of late, of the editor-in-chief of Antiviral Research, Mike Bray. The Society is also very grateful to the many members of the publication committee, Guest Editors, and volunteers who have contributed articles through the years.

The last decades have witnessed a revolutionary change in communication and nowadays we have new forms of media.  The rapid evolution of the Internet, up to web 2.0, has been one of the major drivers of this evolution. The new infrastructures allow almost instantaneous access to information, as well as reaching a broad worldwide audience.

Modern communication have also affected the scientific communication channels. Most journals immediately publish online the accepted papers. Researchers often use social media to announce or discuss their articles. Universities, companies, and research organizations distribute press releases via social media and the internet. Webcasts or webinars, such as ISAR’s, provide excellent communication channels to deliver seminars, updates, and discussions - including interactivity between presenters and audience - in a timely manner and to a broad worldwide audience.

We have also the means to share each piece of ISAR News as soon as it is available by moving it to a web-based format. This new format, ISAR News2.0, allows ISAR to more widely and timely disseminate the information. Each piece of news will be available online immediately to timely inform about ISAR’s and other news of interest in the search of new antivirals.

Our second editor, Hugh Field, and Anthony Vere Hodge, worked very closely together when ISAR News was published by AVCC.

Anthony Vere Hodge, our latest editor, in Porto the 30thICAR.

You will continue finding in ISAR Newsall the information related to the annual ICAR meetings and ISAR events and elections, as well as the successes of ISAR members and their research. However, we will now be able to read each article as soon as it is produced. Each piece of ISAR News will also be accessible through the relevant social media platforms, and we will be able to link to any of them from our own webpages or social media accounts.

As ISAR News starts a new journey with the implementation of this new real-time communication, we invite and encourage all ISAR members to get involved with ISAR News as a contributor. Please do share your inspiring ideas and opinions in the antiviral research field by contacting the Publications Workgroup about any news that you think may be of interest to the ISAR membership. We will be happy to hear about major successes, awards, or recognitions to any of our members, as well as any major development in our search for novel antivirals, clinical trials and their results, drug approvals, outbreaks of viral infections, and vaccine or antiviral development. Do not hesitate in contacting us using the link on this page also with any suggestion or contribution that you think would be of interest for ISAR News.