The Medical Virology Research Group is committed to advancing scientific understanding of viral pathogens and their impacts on human health. Our interdisciplinary research combines molecular virology, epidemiology, immunology, and environmental surveillance to address both acute viral threats and the long-term consequences of viral infections.
Background
Our research is focused on two key areas:
- Threatening viral epidemics: We develop and apply innovative, non-invasive surveillance methods to detect, monitor, and characterize viral pathogens in community wastewater, providing community-level insights into infection trends and outbreak dynamics. We map population-level spatial and temporal variation in wastewater metagenomic signatures and investigate metagenomic risk indicators for communicable and chronic diseases by comparing wastewater data with health registries.
- Viruses and Immune-Mediated Diseases: We investigate how viral infections may trigger or contribute to immune-mediated disorders. Our research explores the molecular and immunological pathways involved in virus-host interactions, aiming to uncover mechanisms that drive immune dysregulation. Our research is grounded in extensive national and international cohorts, with a particular emphasis on the utilization of vaccines for the prevention of diseases.
Aims
- Wastewater Surveillance: To develop cost-effective, scalable systems for monitoring emerging and re-emerging viral threats through wastewater surveillance.
- Metagenomic Insights: To expand wastewater surveillance for identifying metagenomic risk indicators of both communicable and chronic diseases at the population level.
- Autoimmune Mechanisms: To identify key viral factors and host immune responses associated with the development and progression of autoimmune diseases.
- Translational Integration: To integrate insights from both domains to improve diagnostics, treatment strategies, and preventive measures for infectious and immune-mediated diseases.
Impact
Through our integrated research, we contribute to more effective public health surveillance, interventions and disease management strategies. At the same time, our work contributes to a deeper understanding of how viruses influence immune function and disease susceptibility. Through national and international collaborations, we aim to drive innovation in virology, epidemiology, and immunology – ultimately improving health outcomes and strengthening global preparedness against viral diseases.