Tompkins

Recently, the avian influenza virus has infected dairy cows and been detected in the milk supply. While the pasteurization process likely kills the virus, it can still be active in raw dairy, and if people consume unpasteurized dairy products there’s a risk of human infection. That’s why it’s vital to conduct widespread testing of unpasteurized milk. Our team at the UGA Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research is partnering with the FDA to test the milk supply for avian influenza to protect consumers. Facing big challenges like this is part of our mission. 

At UGA, we’re also developing models and tools to understand the body’s response to infection and the evolution of pathogens adjusting to hosts’ responses. Understanding pathogens offers systems for assessing vaccines, such as influenza or pan-coronavirus vaccines. It’s exciting to work in a field that can have an immediate impact on our holistic health.

The global nature of these types of viruses means that our team works alongside national and international partners at academic, governmental and private institutions. Together, we work to improve public health equity and vaccine availability to be prepared in the case of another pandemic. Our team’s research increases our collective understanding of the ecology, infection and transmission of viruses, and develops new tools to detect, prevent and treat infection.

UGA is a collaborative institution: Vaccine and immunology researchers work with computational biologists, bioinformaticians, ecologists, epidemiologists and other experimental virologists and immunologists to predict seasonal and emerging influenza threats. Now, with the new UGA School of Medicine on the horizon, I believe the Center for Vaccines and Immunology will be central to the establishment and growth of the medical research enterprise.

Since I was young, I have always been excited about science. My parents were research scientists working in virology and immunology— I grew up around research meant to protect people, wildlife and our food supply. Carrying on this mission is what makes being part of UGA and the Center for Vaccines and Immunology so special.