The Insitute is dedicated to both fundamental research and applied clinical studies in viral epidemiology, viral vaccines, viral nucleic acid infectivity, immunity in viral infections, antiviral chemotherapy. In the last three years IVN has developed important research programs not only in the domain of viral diseases of public health relevance (AIDA, viral hepatitis, respiratory viral diseases, emerging viral diseases), but also in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, cancer, antiviral and antitumoral therapy, with significant results in health care. The Institute bridges the gap between clinical investigation and the application of basic science in order to understand the pathogenesis of the infectious diseases, their diagnosis and optimal management, prevention and control. Multidisciplinary groups are studying different aspects of infectious diseases> from epidemiology and field work, to patient’s care, from the relationship between the host immune response and the pathogen’s virulence factors, to molecular genetics and vaccine design.