Garcia Presents Inaugural Diversity Lecture at International Microbiology Meeting
June 2, 2017
Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases
The annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Microbe 2017, will feature a special presentation highlighting the contributions to the field of an under-represented minority microbiologist. The inaugural lecture will be presented by J. Victor Garcia, a professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology at UNC.
With more than 50,000 members world-wide, the ASM is the international leader in advancing microbial sciences across the globe. The American Academy of Microbiology Board of Governors recommended Garcia for this honor. The aim of the ASM Honorary Diversity Lecturer is to select an underrepresented minority (URM) microbiologist who is both an accomplished scientist and speaker to present during ASM Microbe. The objective is to highlight exceptional work from an outstanding URM speaker in a highly visible forum, and thus provide both more diversity to the program and showcase a role model for trainees.
“I am humbled by this terrific honor that showcases the type of outstanding opportunities provided by UNC to under-represented minority investigators to excel at a national and international level,” said Garcia. “UNC is a place where everyone can thrive and succeed.”
Garcia’s lecture will begin a symposium on HIV research and will focus on pre-clinical models developed and implemented at UNC that are used to evaluate novel tools to prevent, treat and cure HIV/AIDS. He will present his lecture on Saturday, June 3, during the annual ASM Microbe 2017 meeting in New Orleans.