READDI Receives $65M Grant from NIH to Establish an Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Center

The READDI-AViDD Center, one of nine established by the NIH, is an integrated public-private partnership with a renowned, interdisciplinary research team of experts from the Gillings School, UNC School of Medicine and UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

“Building on generous support and vision provided by the North Carolina legislature, the Governor’s office and UNC, we established a collaborative coalition of scientific leaders to develop antiviral drugs against pandemic virus threats of the 21st century,” stated Ralph Baric, program director and William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in epidemiology, microbiology and immunology. “To achieve these goals, our NIH sponsored READDI-AViDD Center is an international consortium that includes academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies and affiliated entities across five nations who work together to prevent life-threatening human coronavirus, flavivirus, alphavirus and filovirus infections.”

“At Carolina, we talk about practical applications of our research to improve society and the public good. Faced with the threat of COVID-19, our world-class scientists did not back down,” said Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz. “Their continued pursuit of solutions saved lives, and this recent award recognizes the profound impact of that work. I’m grateful for this funding and the continued support of the North Carolina General Assembly, which enables us to perform cutting-edge research and prepare for whatever might be next on the horizon.”

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