(CIT): Kanta Subbarao has made contributions to understanding respiratory virus infection. Trained initially in pediatrics, she earned her molecular virology spurs working in the early 90's with Brian Murphy in the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases. Kanta played a role in determining the genetic basis for cold adaptation of influenza A virus, critical information for generating live attenuated flu vaccines, and as it turns out, for understanding adaptation of flu to different hosts. She spent two years in the Pediatrics Dept. at McGill University before moving on to the CDC where her laboratory did pioneering work in characterizing H5N1 influenza viruses from the 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong and developing candidate H5N1 virus vaccines. Recruited back to NIAID, she is currently a Senior Investigator in the Respiratory Viruses Section in the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, NIAID. Her current research is focused on understanding avian influenza A virus and SARS infections in mouse and man and in developing effective vaccines and passive vaccination strategies. The Immunology Interest Group (IIG) organizes activities designed to promote information exchange and interactions among NIH scientists interested in the field of immunology, broadly defined. Interactions are facilitated via weekly meetings on current topics as well as an annual Immunology Retreat.