On Apr. 15, 2009, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and the University of Washington (UW), along with a number of partner institutions across the Northwest, received federal funding to form a regional research center aimed at combating emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases that pose a serious threat to human health. Based at OHSU, the collaborative Pacific Northwest Regional Center for Excellence (PNWRCE) for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases was established through a five-year, $40.7 million cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“Since the anthrax attacks in 2001, the country has rapidly expanded our ability to detect and combat infectious diseases whether they are spread naturally or through a bioterrorist attack,” said Nelson. “These regional research centers located across the country serve to better protect the population while at the same time conducting research aimed at preventing or successfully combating a public health crisis – recent examples would include threats posed in the past few years by influenza, West Nile virus and SARS.”

Members of the PNWRCE worked closely with public health departments in all participating Northwest states in training and research. The members also collaborated with newly funded science initiatives within the state such as the Oregon Translational Research and Drug Development Institute. OTRADI provides crucial research services to Oregon researchers involved in pharmaceutical development and were important partner in the research.

PNWRCE researchers studied a broad range of diseases and viruses, including Ebola, Dengue, SARS, avian and 1918 influenza, dengue fever, yellow fever, and West Nile, all of which were caused by pathogens that NIAID categorizes as A, B and C. NIAID priority pathogens in category A are the most dangerous and include Ebola and Dengue.

The PNWRCE focused on two main areas to identify potential therapeutic targets for infectious disease: 1) research investigating defects in the immune system caused by aging, and 2) the study of disease-host interactions through newly advanced techniques in genomics and genetic analyses. Both research areas facilitated the development of vaccines and other therapies.  PNWRCE concluded its operations in 2018 following the completion of its funding cycles.