The McGill Centre for Viral Diseases has adopted the following objectives:
- Foster an environment for collaborative transdisciplinary research across all McGill in HIV, SARS-CoV-2, chronic and emerging viral infections and associated conditions.
- Lead, nationally and internationally, basic, clinical, epidemiologic and public health research in viral diseases of public health impact.
- Build McGill’s capacity for research in emerging viral infectious disease threats by initiating new research programs and recruiting world-class researchers in viral infections, building strong competitive research teams to solve the most pressing viral epidemics, including COVID-19.
- Strengthen existing physical resources dedicated to HIV, SARS-CoV-2 and viral infection research and training.
- Expand our multidisciplinary educational mandate in viral diseases within and beyond McGill: training undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, medical students and fellows, healthcare and public health professionals.
- Engage and collaborate with industrial partners, to promote translational research and facilitate clinical trials on new medical interventions.
- Meaningfully engage and collaborate with communities affected by viral diseases to exchange knowledge and inform research.
- Have a proactive role at the policy level, using evidence to support policy change (e.g. research focus and maintaining funding, universal access to antiretroviral therapy and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment, decriminalization, addressing health disparities and stigma).