New research has identified key mutations in the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that may influence how easily the virus infects cells and evades immune responses, offering important insights for pandemic preparedness. The study, supported by funding from The Pandemic Institute and led by researchers at the University of Liverpool plus colleagues from across…
The Pandemic Institute Public Steering Group recently met for its fifth session, bringing together community members and researchers to review ongoing work and discuss a new study focused on vaccine inequalities. The meeting opened with updates from the Institute, including progress on two research projects: an AI-assisted robotic microscope being used in a high-containment laboratory…
A new UK-based study funded by the EU Decipher Mpox consortium and The Pandemic Institute has provided early insights into how well the existing mpox vaccine, MVA-BN, may protect against emerging strains of the virus, offering important evidence to inform future public health responses. Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), is a zoonotic disease…
Dr Tessa Prince, one of The Pandemic Institute’s (TPI) funded strategic posts and member of our Internal Scientific Advisory Panel, reflects on her recent participation in a UK–South Africa workshop focused on preventing zoonotic spillover of pandemic-prone respiratory viruses. I was recently invited to attend the SAMRC–UKRI workshop on a “One Health approach to the…
A strategic research post funded by The Pandemic Institute is helping scientists deepen their understanding of some of the world’s most dangerous viruses while strengthening the UK’s preparedness for future pandemics. The post, held by Dr Tessa Prince, focuses on combining artificial intelligence and advanced microscopy to create new ways of studying high-risk viruses. Tessa’s…
A study funded through a partnership between The Pandemic Institute and CSL Seqirus has been published in Scientific Reports. The research maps bird flu risk across Europe and, unlike earlier studies that focused mainly on landscape and climate, it also uses information about wild bird populations and how they interact with their environment. Bird flu,…
2025 has been a year of real momentum for The Pandemic Institute (TPI), as we continued to strengthen preparedness for emerging infectious diseases through rapid research funding, global collaboration, community engagement and working closely with policymakers. Accelerating research into emerging threats Responding quickly to a changing global health landscape, TPI awarded more than £700,000 in…
With the early arrival of the flu season in the UK, vaccination remains the best protection we have against the virus. Yet uptake is still low. Research carried out by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), in collaboration with The Pandemic Institute and funded by CSL Seqirus, worked with ethnically minoritised communities in Liverpool to understand barriers…
A new creative health campaign, led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), in partnership with Writing on the Wall, Sahir House, Liverpool City Council Public Health, is harnessing the power of community storytelling to raise awareness, combat stigma, and support public health action around Mpox. Funded by The Pandemic Institute, Mpox: What’s Your Story…
The Pandemic Institute’s Public Steering Group recently visit the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) to hear about pioneering research using organoids – tiny three-dimensional clusters of cells that mimic how tissues behave in the human body. The group also had the opportunity to feedback to the researchers their views on the work and its…
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