Welcome to the Center for Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases. The Center aims to harness, leverage, and expand the complimentary functions of the Institute for Human infections and Immunity (IHII), Center for Tropical Diseases (CTD), Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases (CBEID) and the Western Gulf Center of Excellence for Vector-borne Diseases (WGCVBD), to investigate vector-borne diseases internationally through basic, applied, clinical and field research, education, and service.The Center will enable the best available intellectual and physical resources to be integrated and focused on understanding, mitigating and developing countermeasures against emerging and tropical infectious agents of major global importance. The Center will enhance UTMB’s international footprint and reputation and solidify its global leadership in Vector-borne and Zoonotic diseases. Combined with the unique containment and other specialized research resources at UTMB and already established international presence through The Coordinating Research on Emerging Arboviral Threats Encompassing the Neotropics (CREATE-NEO) program, we are sanguine that we will build local capacity to detect, predict and respond to emerging arboviruses at their point of origin, thereby maximizing the potential to avert full-blown emergence.