Announcements

KOLD News 13 has released a new podcast series about Valley fever called "Danger in the Dust". The episodes include interviews from our researchers at the VFCE, where they explain their involvement with Valley fever. You can listen the the series on any podcast streaming site, or visit HERE.

The FDA, NIH, and CDC are putting together a workshop on the development of the Valley fever vaccine. The event will be held on August 13-14, 2024 in Rockville, Maryland. Our director, Dr. Galgiani, will be presenting on the current vaccine candidates in a dog model and how it can be developed for human use. For more information about the event and how to register, visit HERE.

Information about next year's Cocci Study Group is now available HERE. For more details, check the Cocci Study Group website.

Scientific American recently released a new publication about fungal diseases, including Valley fever. It gives a deep dive into fungal diseases and their relation to COVID-19, and shows the potential outlook for the coming years. You can read the article HERE.

Congratulations to our esteemed director, Dr. John Galgiani, for being selected as the recipient for the 2023 AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement! This prestigious award is given to leaders in the biomedical industry that have improved the welfare and well being of Arizonans. We are so thankful to have such an amazing director leading our center towards success! Dr. Galgiani will be honored on September 27 by the Arizona Bioindustry Association. You can read more about this award and the ceremony HERE.

John Galgiani, MD, director of the University of Arizona Valley Fever Center for Excellence and professor in the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson, was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Distinguished Director’s Award and one of 25 faculty members singled out for excellence in teaching, scholarship and outreach. Read the full article about this accomplishment HERE.

We are so excited that Dr. Lisa Shubitz has been recognized as a Woman of Impact at the University of Arizona this year! Her contributions to the development of the Valley fever vaccine are unmatched and she has been a vital part of our center for more than 25 years! We are so thankful we get to work with her and have her as a part of our team! To see the full list of awardees, visit HERE. To read the spotlights for each of the members of BIO5 that were awarded, visit HERE.

Big news! The National Institute of Health is now advancing the Valley fever vaccine to be adapted for human use! This decision has been long awaited and is integral to providing preventative care to patients around the southwestern United States. To read more about this amazing news, visit HERE.

A new Message from our center director, Dr. John Galgiani, is available to view. This edition discusses the Western Regional Valley Fever Workshop that was held in November for Valley Fever Awareness Week. It highlights some of the presenters that shared their research during the event and how Valley fever continues to be of concern in the Western U.S. A recording of this workshop is also now available, along with a schedule of the presentations with video timestamps.

Wanna see the lastest data for positive Valley fever cases in Maricopa county? Check it out HERE!

This new report explains the financial costs to valley fever patients in the state of Arizona. The article describes the direct costs, such as doctor visits, treatment programs, and diagnostic procedures, as well as indirect costs from the loss of potential income once diagnosed with valley fever. It also touches on the differences of costs depending on manifestations of valley fever.

The third addition of the Valley Fever Manual has been finished! Click here: Valley Fever Training Manual to see the new manual!

A new Fact Sheet about a Valley fever vaccine is available for the public! This sheet has quick, condensed facts about Valley fever and how the development of a vaccine is moving forward at the University of Arizona. You can read the fact sheet HERE.

The 2024 application for VFCE Membership is now available! If you are not already a member, please fill out a new membership application. If you are an existing member, please renew your membership and make any necessary changes on the existing membership application.

The Valley Fever Center for Excellence is honored to be designated as a College of Medicine Tucson Priority Center in the new philanthropy initiative, "Fuel Wonder". This program encourages giving to centers that are supported by your generosity to conduct research and create new innovations. For our center, there are four areas that you can give to--the Valley Fever Center for Excellence Fund, the Valley Fever Vaccine Project, the Valley Fever Companion Care Fund, and the Valley Fever Center for Excellence Endowment. More details about each of these projects and how to donate can be found HERE.

It's that time of year again! Each year we celebrate Valley Fever Awareness Week to increase knowledge of this disease in our community. This year, we will observe it from November 16-24th. You can check out the Governor's Proclamation of Valley Fever Awareness Week and our Schedule of Events to see all that we're up to this week. Also, don't miss the new Message from the Director about the week ahead!

The Arizona Board of Regents earmarked $3.1 million from the state’s Technology and Research Initiative Fund to support new research into Valley fever detection technology, genomics and seasonal outbreak patterns. This grant will allow UArizona, NAU, and ASU to work togehter to learn more about the environmental markers of Valley fever and find a solution to this longstanding problem. Read more about the grant HERE.

A new article has been published in Sceintific American discussing the risks that Valley fever poses to outdoor workers and how this threat can be minimized using preventative measures and effective treatments. The full publication can be viewed HERE.

The Valley Fever Center for Excellence was selected as this year's recipient of the Innovator of the Year - Academia Award! Dr. Marc Orbach will be accepting the award for his contributions to the discovery and creation of the Valley fever vaccine! The Governor's Celebration of Innovation Awards ceremony will be held in Phoenix on November 13. To learn more about this event and the other winners, visit HERE. To read about details on how our center was chosen to be a recipient and its meaningfulness to us, visit HERE.

Join us on November 3, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ for the Western States Regional Workshop for Coccidioidomycosis Emerging Public Health Problem and Mitigation Strategies! This workshop will discuss topics such as risk mitigation, vaccines, and other policy measures related to Valley fever. For more information, visit HERE.

For a directory of doctors with experience in treating valley fever, in Tucson and Phoenix, please click here.