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School of the Biological Sciences

Growing human populations, environmental shifts and increasing international movement are the recognisable features of our changing world, and are contributing factors to the emergence, resurgence, and redistribution of many infectious diseases.  Cambridge researchers are working across disciplinary boundaries to understand how pathogens are responding to our changing world.  Working collaboratively and in partnership with affected communities, we will deliver effective strategies to protect our planetary health and the global community across future generations.

 

Public Awareness and Engagement

Following the pandemic, and in the ever-present shadow of climate change, it is timely that researchers across Cambridge work to engage the public in discussions on how pathogens and infectious disease are changing, what the impact on global health might be, and what mitigation measures we might be able to put in place in response.

We are pleased to be delivering a series of events and activities as part of the Cambridge Festival 2023 to share our science and ideas with the public, through hands-on activities, seminars and more. Information and a full programme can be found on the Cambridge Festival website.

Scientific Collaboration and Partnerships

Working in partnership with Cambridge Infectious Diseases and Cambridge Zero, we are looking forward to delivering our next workshop on "Evidence-based solutions to the impact of climate change on emerging diseases" in March 2023.

The goal of the meeting is to identify challenges for multisectoral research projects at the interface of environmental science, conservation and epidemiology. The meeting will include scientists, policy makers, community leaders, NGOs and charities.

Delivering meaningful solutions to arising infectious disease challenges requires partnership and engagement with communities and researchers in the areas that are most affected, which are often in the Global South. We are working with researchers across Cambridge to exchange knowledge and experience in global infectious disease research and will be supporting more Cambridge colleagues to initiate equitable research programmes with partners in the Global South.

Work with us

We welcome opportunities to collaborate with industry partners, policy makers and academics. If you are interested in working with us, please contact Dr Abi Herrmann, Research Strategy Manager.

Key Publications

Attenuation hotspots in neurotropic human astroviruses

Ali H, Lulla A, Nicholson AS, Hankinson J, Wignall-Fleming EB, et al. (2023) PLOS Biology 21(7): e3001815.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001815


Emergence of methicillin resistance predates the clinical use of antibiotics.

Larsen, J., Raisen, C.L., Ba, X. et al. Nature 602, 135–141 (2022). doi:10.1038/s41586-021-04265-w


Antigenic evolution of dengue viruses over 20 years.

Katzelnick LC, Coello Escoto A, Huang AT, et al. Science. 2021 Nov 19;374(6570):999-1004. doi:10.1126/science.abk0058. 

Academic Lead