Virology

The Section of Virology research laboratories are based at the South Kensington Campus, with a clinical base at Hammersmith, St Mary’s and Chelsea & Westminster hospitals. Our research areas stretch from understanding the molecular details of how viruses manipulate the host cell machinery and subvert immune responses, to optimizing strategies to improve early diagnostics and deliver novel therapies to patients.

The viruses studied within the Section range from the small RNA viruses that cause respiratory infection to the large complex DNA viruses that lead to persistent infections and cancer. There is a strong focus on retrovirology, including strategies for HIV cure, and the early detection and treatment of diseases caused by the human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) -1.  Another major focus is to understand the evolution of the influenza virus to improve therapies and vaccines for seasonal influenza and to better predict pandemic emergence. The section has a strong track record in the response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from the development of diagnostics, through determining the impact of viral evolution on the host response to clinical trials. Understanding how viruses are restricted and how viruses antagonise antiviral proteins is a theme that runs through our research, including understanding the barriers for interspecies transmission focusing on Dengue, Zika and West Nile viruses. Clinical research spans diagnosis, natural history and pathogenesis studies through early phase clinical trials to international interventions across a range of infections.

To hear more from the virology group follow @imperialinfectx  and @imperialinfect.bsky.social