About the HHV-6 Foundation

The HHV-6 Foundation in a non-profit entity founded by Kristin Loomis and Annette Whittemore in 2004 to encourage scientific exchange between scientists and to provide pilot grants for promising scientific and clinical research.

The first priority of the Foundation is to support efforts to develop better laboratory tests that can differentiate between chronic active and latent infection. Since this virus can retreat to the brain and other tissues and disappear from the serum, finding a sensitive diagnostic tool is a challenge. The Foundation is working hard to promote efforts to develop better techniques.

Another important priority for the Foundation is to encourage efforts to find antiviral compounds that are appropriate for long-term use. The Foundation has supported several in-vitro studies of antiviral efficacy at both commercial and academic laboratories, including a comprehensive screening done for us at the Rega Institute in Belgium and the Laboratory of Virology at the University of Paris in France.

The Foundation sponsors a large international conference every other year and encourages collaboration between scientists. Our 2006 International Conference on HHV-6 & 7 in Barcelona was attended by 165 scientists from 19 countries. The Foundation supports basic research by funding pilot grants and has funded a dozen grants tp date. (See Research Grants Awarded) These awards allow investigators the seed funds to gather preliminary data in order to apply for larger grants. The Foundation maintains a repository of patient samples and valuable reagents that scientists need for research (purified virus, monoclonal antibodies, cell lines, etc.)

Scientific Advisory Board

Scientific Director

Executive Director and Staff

Board of Directors

Contact Information

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