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:

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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.

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/

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.

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.