Shuailin Li, a PhD Student at the Jenner Institute in the group of Prof Helen McShane, studies the link between cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and M.tuberculosis infection or tuberculosis(TB) disease.

Infections rarely, if ever, happen in isolation: humans are infected with 10 chronic viruses on average and this imprint shapes our response to other pathogens.  

On this episode, find out how data from a vaccine study cohort uncovered a detrimental association between CMV infection and TB, the likely immunological mechanisms for this effect and the possible implications of these findings in endemic regions. 

Holly Everest, a DPhil Student working at the Pirbright Institute and previously a researcher at the Animal&Plant Health Agency, speaks about her research on avian influenza viruses.

This episode explores the limitations of vaccines and antivirals to treat avian influenza, how epidemiological surveillance is conducted, how to predict whether avian influenza viruses are of pandemic concern and generally how influenza viruses are good at what they do....

Nicola Wade, a 3rd year PhD student at Leiden University, shares her research on using the tools of chemistry to optimise antibiotic compounds and combat antibiotic resistance.

This episode includes discussion on developing novel beta-lactamase inhibitors, challenges of developing narrow-spectrum antibiotics and the importance of science communication around antibiotic resistance. 

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Music: "Fossiles" from the Carnival of the Animals (Saint Saëns). Recording by Seattle Youth Symphony, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

This episode covers how RNA binding proteins can be targeted to antagonise viral infection, the challenges of host-directed therapies against HIV and promising future directions in the field of HIV/AIDS.

Kate Dicker, a PhD student in Infection, Immunology and Translational Medicine at the University of Oxford, shares her research.

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Music: "Fossiles" from the Carnival of the Animals (Saint Saëns). Recording by Seattle Youth Symphony, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license

This episode explores how genomics can be used to study ancient viruses, how viruses have provided benefits to their hosts over the course of evolution and how knowledge of virus evolution could have applications in genetic engineering and pandemic preparedness.

I interview José Gabriel Niño Barreat, a DPhil candidate in Zoology at the University of Oxford. 

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Music: "Fossiles" from the Carnival of the Animals (Saint Saëns). Recording by Seattle Youth Symphony, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.