At the end of February, Philip Aston visited Sao Paulo for the start of the UGPN funded collaboration between researchers at Sao Paulo, North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Surrey investigating mathematical modelling of hepatitis C infection. Hien Tran and Tom Banks from NCSU were also visiting and they had good discussions with Aluisio Segurado and Cássia Mendes Corrêa.  Philip gave a talk on “A review of mathematical models of HCV infection” to a room full of people, most of whom were wearing white coats and had stethoscopes around their necks – a new experience!