We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Enzo Tramontano has been appointed as the Associate Editor of the Section “Viral Immunology, Vaccines, and Antivirals” in Viruses (ISSN: 1999-4915).

Name: Prof. Dr. Enzo Tramontano

Affiliation: Chair, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria di Monserrato SS554, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy

Interests: virology; antiviral drugs; drug development; endogenous retroviruses; viral escape of innate immunity

Homepage: https://unica.it/unica/page/it/enzo_tramontano

Prof. Dr. Enzo Tramontano is a Professor of microbiology and Chair of the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Cagliari (Italy), and is currently the Vice-President of the Italian Society for Virology (SIV-ISV). His research activities focus on the i) discovery and development of antiviral agents; ii) understanding the molecular mechanism of innate immunity viral evasion; iii) study of the expression of retroviral sequences stably integrated into human genomes to explore their physiological and pathological role.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Enzo Tramontano, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and Open Access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take the role as its Associate Editor?

It is a relatively new, well-respected international scientific journal with a dynamic Editor-in-Chief and a strong and diversified Editorial Board. I believe it will be an exciting task.

2. What is your vision for the journal?

The journal should be a platform of excellence for virology research, providing cutting-edge high-quality research papers and accurate review articles focused on prominent topics. In addition, I believe it must also contribute to inspiring a new generation of virologists with a passion for questions and discoveries, as well as the scientific rigor for investigating them.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?

Viruses are an essential component of our planet. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us how they may impact our daily life, but their role far exceeds their pathological effects. Virology is a rising field in which new basic knowledge may lead to many novel technological advances, as it has already been proven historically.

4. What do you think of the development of Open Access in the publishing field?

The Open Access policy addresses the need of improving the diffusion of scientific information, speeding up technological innovation and boosting the benefits of public investment in research. Open Access may also improve the impact of science outside the scientific community, reaching a wider audience on relevant topics.

We wish Prof. Dr. Enzo Tramontano every success in his new position, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.