Research summary
Respiratory viruses, such as seasonal influenza and coronaviruses, including COVID-19, continue to pose a pandemic threat. But zoonotic spillover—the ability of some coronaviruses to spread from animals to people and then between people—remains poorly understood. As Canada Research Chair in Pre-pandemic and Pandemic Viruses and Therapeutic Strategies, Dr. Mariana Baz’s goal is to shed light on this process so that we can predict which viruses might pose the greatest threat.
She and her research team aim to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in mammalian virus adaptation in zoonotic spillover, amplification and disease transmission from animals to people. They are also using animal models to evaluate efficient therapeutic treatments for pre-pandemic and pandemic viruses. Ultimately, their findings will better prepare us for the next pandemic by improving our understanding of how potential pandemic viruses are transmitted and evolve globally.