Three key science conferences have been canceled in San Diego and the Salk Institute is temporarily banning visits by the public to help prevent the possible transmission of the coronavirus, which has killed at least 14 people across the country.

The latest cancellation came Friday when Experimental Biology 2020, which was scheduled to attract about 12,000 people to the San Diego Convention Center during its April 4-7 run, announced online that the event had been called off.

“Many institutions are enacting travel restrictions and quarantines, which would greatly impact people traveling to San Diego—as well as traveling home,” EB 2020 organizers said in a statement. “In light of these factors, it is clear that it would be a risk to bring so many people together in California next month.”

EB pumped almost $42 million into San Diego’s economy when it held its convention here in 2018, convention center officials says.


This year’s conference was scheduled to feature such prominent figures as Nobel laureate Randy Schekman, and Tony Hunter, a Salk researcher who has been instrumental in developing cancer drugs.

Scripps Research in La Jolla canceled the Future of Individualized Medicine, an annual conference that was scheduled to be held on March 12 and 13 at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The conference typically draws more than 300 people.

“Given the rapidly evolving nature of the situation, we feel that out of an abundance of caution, canceling the event is the right decision,” Scripps Research said in a statement.


UC San Diego canceled its Future of Experimental Technology conference, which was scheduled for March 13. The conference was meant to explore how artificial intelligence affects humans. The scheduled speakers included Hemanth Sampath, the leader of the 5G program at Qualcomm.

Scripps Research also postponed its Front Row Lecture, a public forum that was scheduled for March 26. The forum features prominent scientists who talk to the public about emerging trends. The lecture will be rescheduled for July.

The Salk Institute, which is across the street from UC San Diego, has closed its campus to the general public. Salk is widely considered to be an architectural gem and it typically draws many visitors.

The Salk “receives tens of thousands of visitors from across the globe annually, most whom come to tour Louis Kahn’s architectural masterwork,” the institute said in a statement. “The closure does not apply to upcoming scientific meetings or events; however, we are evaluating this on a daily basis.”


Some universities are canceling public lectures or limiting the number of people who can gather for meetings. UCSD said Friday that it currently doesn’t see the need to do the same.

The San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering kicks off its week-long festivities on Saturday with an EXPO Day at Petco Park. The large family-friendly gathering, free to the public, is still going forward as planned, organizers said.

Union-Tribune reporter Lori Weisberg contributed to this story.