Advertise on podcast: The CVR Presents Research Goes Viral

In this episode of Research Goes Viral, Bailey Atkinson sits down with Dr Ruth Harvey, Deputy Director of the Worldwide Influenza Centre at the Francis Crick Institute, to discuss the importance of global flu surveillance.They discuss how influenza surveillance saves lives, what happens behind the scenes when a novel or concerning flu strain is detected, the importance of the One Health approach at the animal–human interface and Ruth’s career journey into public health virology and her advice for aspiring scientists. 🔗 Links Find out more about the Worldwide Influenza Centre: https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/plat...Find out more about the CVR: https://www.cvr.ac.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr/

In this episode of Research Goes Viral, Bailey Atkinson and Charlotte Lewis sit down with Professor Akiko Iwazaki, recipient of the 2025 Sir Michael Stoker Award, to explore the science behind Long COVID and how the pandemic reshaped research overnight.They discuss the leading theories behind Long COVID, including persistent virus, autoimmunity, and reactivation of dormant viruses, and what these could mean for future treatments. Professor Iwasaki also shares insights into rapidly pivoting research during COVID-19 and the importance of clinical trials in finding answers for patients.🔗 Links Find out more about Akiko Iwasaki: https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/akiko-iwasaki/Find out more about the CVR: https://www.cvr.ac.uk Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

A mini podcast exploring new research tracking COVID-19 immunity in Malawi. First author, Dr Mhairi McCormack, explains how infection, vaccination, and variant waves shaped protection in urban and rural communities and why children and people living with HIV may face higher risks. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-22599-7

In this episode, Dan Liu, a newly graduated PhD student from the MRC-UofG Centre for Virus Research, shares the story behind PLM-interact — a new AI-powered model published in Nature Communications. By teaching artificial intelligence to understand the “language” of proteins, her research helps predict how proteins interact, offering new insights into virus–host relationships and the molecular machinery of life itself. Read the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64512-w

Flu viruses use secret cellular tunnels to escape your immune system! New research from Daniel Weir and colleagues uncovers influenza's most elusive escape route - tunnelling nanotubes that let viruses spread completely undetected. 🔗 KEY RESOURCES: 📄 Research Paper: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013191 🦠 More from Daniel Weir and the Hutchinson Lab: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/aboutus/people/researchgroups/hutchinsongroup/ 📱 Follow for more from the CVR: https://x.com/CVRinfo https://bsky.app/profile/cvrinfo.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr/

This episode explores the lived experiences of neurodivergent researchers in academia, from autism to ADHD. Through candid conversations with scientists at different career stages, we uncover both the challenges they face in traditional academic environments and the unique strengths they bring to scientific discovery. Our guests share practical strategies for supporting neurodiversity in research settings while advocating for systemic changes that could transform academia into a more inclusive space where different thinking styles are not just accommodated but celebrated as essential to innovation. https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/ Amit Meir Ben Efraim Marina Kugler Vanessa Herder

Listen to Dr Nir Drayman chat to Dr Mila Collados Rodriguez about his journey moving from Isreal to Chicago, to building his very own lab in California. Nir embraced the unexpected twists of life and found his passion for virology while working in systems biology labs. He speaks about the challenges of navigating career opportunities, spousal hiring schemes and the meticulous process of choosing the flooring for your first laboratory. Nir gives advice on how to communicate your research effectively, convince committees to hire you and to embrace the individuality of every scientific path. 🔗 Links Find out more about Nir Drayman: https://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=7088 Follow Nir on X: https://twitter.com/NirDrayman Follow Mila on X: https://twitter.com/CacaoL8ver Find out more about the CVR: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CVRinfo Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvrinfo/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

Spanish virologist Nerea Irigoyen provides an inside look at her career with PhD students from the Castello Lab, Natasha Palmalux and Rozeena Arif. Nerea details her pioneering work using ribosomal profiling to uncover the complexities of viral gene expression, as well as her experiences transitioning to an independent group leader role. Irigoyen also shares valuable guidance for early career researchers, especially those from Spain seeking to establish themselves internationally, and she stresses the benefits of diverse lab experiences and the need to develop resilience against online criticism. 🔗 Links Learn more about Nerea Irigoyen: https://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/staff/nerea-irigoyen Find out more about the CVR: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CVRinfo Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvrinfo/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

Dr Angela Rasmussen travelled from the University of Saskatchewan to the CVR in September 2023, and sat down with Spyros Lytras and Kieran Lamb. Angela gives insight into dealing with toxic bosses, sustained research investments, empowering underrepresented groups of people, dealing with conflict and connecting with colleagues across disciplines through social media. 🔗 Links More about Angela Rasmussen: https://www.vido.org/team/project-leaders-veterinarians/angela-rasmussen Follow Spyros on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SpyrosLytras Follow Kieran on Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/Kieran12Lamb Find out more about the CVR: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CVRinfo Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvrinfo/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

Prof Wendy Barclay OBE, winner of the 11th Annual Sir Michael Stoker Award, sat down with Stephen Devlin and Anna Sims on her visit the the CVR. Wendy gives insight into building a career in virology, navigating the challenges of science communication in the digital age, the importance of widening your network and asking for help. 🔗 Links More about Wendy Barclay, including contact information: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/w.barclay Follow Stephen on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/sdevlinbio Follow Anna on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/annasimsbiol Find out more about the CVR: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/

For #HPVAwarenessDay, Anna Kirk, a PhD Researcher in the Graham Lab, takes a deep dive into Human Papillomavirus in our recent Research Goes Viral podcast. Anna explains the viral life cycle of HPV, how disruption of this cycle can lead to cancer, and how we can protect ourselves. #OneLessWorry

Associate Professor Anice Lowen travelled all the way from Atlanta's Emory University to deliver the Richard M. Elliott Memorial Lecture at the recent Glasgow Virology Workshop. Anice completed her PhD at the CVR (then MRC Virology Unit) with Richard Elliott. We invited Anice along to chat with a couple of our PhD students, Stephen Devlin and Anna Sims, about her research in influenza A transmission and genome reassortment, her career path and her advice for early career researchers. Find out more about Anice and the Lowen Lab: http://www.lowenlab.com/ Follow Anice on Twitter: https://twitter.com/anice_lowen Follow Anna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/annasimsbiol Follow Stephen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdevlinbio 🔗 Links Find out more about the CVR: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CVRinfo  Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvrinfo/  Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

There is now strong evidence that the virus AAV2, alongside an underlying genetic predisposition, played a key role in cases of acute hepatitis in children, according to a new study published in Nature – the first detailed research investigation into the worldwide outbreak. In this podcast, host Stephen Devlin takes a deep dive into this new publication with lead author Dr Antonia Ho, Bioinformatician Dr Richard Orton and Pathologist Dr Vanessa Herder. The peer-reviewed study, which was led by researchers at the University of Glasgow in collaboration with the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, Public Health Scotland (PHS) and ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium) WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK (CCP-UK), found that the common virus AAV2 (adeno-associated virus 2) was present in a range of different samples taken from children with acute unexplained hepatitis. In contrast, AAV2 was not found to be commonly present in samples taken from children in the control groups. Researchers believe that AAV2 virus may have played a key role in the development of acute hepatitis in a small number of young children around the world. Read the paper 'Adeno-associated virus 2 infection in children with non-A-E hepatitis' here: --- 🔗 Links Follow Toni on Twitter: twitter.com/DrToniHo Follow Vanessa on Instagram: instagram.com/vanessa.herder/ Follow Richard on Twitter: twitter.com/RichardJOrton Follow Stephen on Twitter: twitter.com/sdevlinbio Find out more about the CVR: www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/ Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/CVRinfo Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/cvrinfo/ Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

New research from Professor Daniel Streicker and colleagues has revealed that vampire bat culls may actually exacerbate rabies transmission, rather than reducing it. In this podcast, Anna Kirk chats to Daniel Streicker and Megan Griffiths about their research around vampire bats and rabies virus. Megan's PhD project was focused on the development of a transmissible vaccine using a herpes virus to reduce rabies transmission in vampire bat populations. Read Daniels Science Advances paper 'Effects of culling vampire bats on the spatial spread and spillover of rabies virus' here: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciad…7437#.ZA2-ZrIC6Ko Read the Nature paper which discusses Daniel's work here: www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00712-y Read Megan's PNAS paper 'Inferring the disruption of rabies circulation in vampire bat populations using a betaherpesvirus-vectored transmissible vaccine' here: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2216667120 --- 🔗 Links Follow BatsGoViral Lab on Twitter: twitter.com/BatsGoViral Follow Daniel on Twitter: twitter.com/DanielStreicker Follow Megan on Twitter: twitter.com/Megan3Griffiths Follow Anna on Twitter: twitter.com/Anna__Kirk Find out more about the CVR: www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/ Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/CVRinfo Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/cvrinfo/ Follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

Listen to the 2022 Stoker Award Winner, Professor Christian Drosten talk about his coronavirus research, challenges of science communication and the song that a German punk band wrote about him! On Monday 9 January, we welcomed 2022 Sir Michael Stoker Award winner Professor Christian Drosten to the CVR. This annual award is awarded to a highly reputable scientist to honour their significant contributions within the field of virology who have excellent transparency with their research, regularly engaging with both the public and within the research community. Candidates are nominated and voted for by students, postdocs and technical staff within the CVR - and winners are invited to the CVR for the day to receive the award, meet with our early career researchers and give a seminar. The winner of the 10th edition of the award, Professor Drosten is the director of the Institute of Virology at the Charite University Hosptial in Berlin, and is an instrumental figure in the field of coronaviruses , particularly in the areas of cross-immunity and host adaption. Some of his career highlights include the co-discovery of SARS-CoV, development of the first diagnostic WHO-approved RT-qPCR against SARS-CoV-2 and the development of RNA and antibody assays against MERS-CoV, which first implicated camels as the primary reservoir. Christian also has a general interest in the evolution, epidemiology and host-adaption of many other emerging viruses such as Ebolavirus, Avian Influenza and Zika Virus.