Damien Richard is a microbial genomicist with a strong background in bioinformatics. He relies on Next-Generation Sequencing data to answer key questions linked to the past and present genomic evolution of bacterial and viral pathogens. To do so, he often makes use of comparative genomics, networks, phylogenies and tip-dating approaches often combined in in-house bioinformatics pipelines.

Marina is interested in how viral and host ecological interactions can impact evolutionary processes. This includes exploring how different (social, biological, and ecological) factors can shape virus evolution and their dynamics. Her work has studied how recurring evolutionary and epidemiological trends and patterns in independent virus populations (convergence) can lead to the emergence of high-risk viral phenotypes. Her work has included distinct RNA viruses relevant to global health, such as SARS-CoV-2, avian and human Influenza A (AIV, IAV), and Lassa (LASV) viruses, as well as with their hosts populations (rodents, bats, and humans, among others). Her research approach is based on new sequencing technologies coupled with tools in molecular evolution, phylogenetics/phylodynamics, as well as genomic epidemiology, seeking to collaborate across disciplines.

Pooja's research focuses on the retrieval, detection and analysis of pathogen genomes from historical samples to trace their evolutionary journey across time. Her primary focus is on the evolution of bacterial and protozoan species, and she has previously worked on species such as Yersinia pestis, Borrelia recurrentis and Plasmodium vivax. Through the combined analysis of ancient and contemporary genomes, her work strives to understand the fundamental evolutionary processes that have influenced the genomes and geographical distribution of these species today.

I am a computational biologist working on pathogen (meta)genomics. I am currently interested in pathogen evolution and transmission at the human-animal interface (i.e., animal-->human, human-->animal, human-->animal-->human). More broadly, I am interested in uncovering the molecular and ecological determinants of zoonotic outbreaks, and how to pre-empt and prevent them.

I am a PhD student in the BBSRC LIDo program, interested in aDNA, bioinformatics, tool development and lab work/method development. My current work in the lab is focused on questions of host adaptation, and zoonotic disease jumps in pathogens contemporarily found in animal hosts but which have been recovered from past human archaeological teeth, suggesting they infected over a broader range historically.