REVEAL
Rodent Ecology and Viral Emergence: Anthropogenic Links and environmental drivers
Understanding Rodent-Borne Viruses in a Changing World by Quantifying Viral Dynamics to Predict and Prevent Spillover Risk.
About Our Project
• Our Vision
• Our Mission
Emerging infectious diseases, particularly those caused by zoonotic viruses, represent a significant challenge to global health and ecological stability. Rodents, which account for more zoonotic infections than any other mammalian group, play a central role in the transmission of these diseases. However, critical questions remain unanswered: How do changes in the environment—such as shifting climates or altered landscapes—affect the spread and diversity of rodent-borne viruses? How do these dynamics translate into risks for human populations?
This research — funded by the National Science Foundation and the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council — aims to answer these questions and more by studying how rodent-virus dynamics are shaped by environmental changes. The project focuses on two distinct ecosystems: the seasonally varying woodland of Wytham Woods, UK, and a gradient of land-use types in Eastern Uganda. Through an innovative combination of longitudinal field studies, metaviromic data analysis, and computational modeling, the research seeks to uncover the general principles governing pathogen emergence at the viral community level.
This work moves beyond single-virus studies, leveraging state-of-the-art methodologies to quantify how factors like precipitation, land-use changes, and rodent behavior influence virus transmission. By integrating diverse datasets and field observations, the project will provide actionable insights to mitigate the risk of viral spillover to humans, particularly in communities most vulnerable to emerging diseases.
1. Quantifying Zoonotic Risk
at the Viral Community Level
Rather than focusing on individual viruses, this project studies entire viral communities to identify common patterns and drivers of pathogen emergence. Understanding these broader dynamics is essential for predicting and preventing future outbreaks.
Research Goals
3. Linking Rodent Behavior
to Viral Dynamics
Rodents’ movement and population density are closely tied to virus transmission. This project will analyze these factors using rigorous field techniques, such as capture-mark-recapture studies, to identify how rodent community dynamics shape virus spread.
2. Investigating Environmental
Determinants of Virus Transmission
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Seasonal drivers: Exploring how precipitation, humidity, and rodent behavior influence viral transmission in Wytham Woods, UK.
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Spatial drivers: Assessing how land-use changes, such as deforestation and agricultural expansion, impact virus diversity and transmission in Eastern Uganda.
4. Enhancing Spillover Risk
Prediction and Prevention
By establishing a baseline for viral dynamics, identifying key environmental drivers, and linking metaviromics with transmission theory, this research will improve our ability to predict zoonotic risks in changing environments and develop strategies to reduce them.
Expanding Knowledge of Zoonotic Risks
By studying viral communities rather than individual viruses, this research will identify overarching drivers of pathogen emergence, filling critical gaps in our understanding of zoonotic risk factors.
Bridging Data Gaps
The project connects metaviromics with transmission theory, overcoming current limitations in predicting zoonotic risks from cross-sectional data. This advancement will improve the utility of commonly collected field data and enhance disease surveillance systems.
Informing Public Health Strategies
Findings will provide actionable insights for reducing spillover risks in areas undergoing environmental change, particularly those on the frontlines of emerging zoonotic diseases. These strategies can strengthen the health and resilience of vulnerable rural communities.
Enhancing Global Preparedness
With climate change and land-use alterations making outbreaks more frequent and severe, this research contributes to global efforts to avert future pandemics by developing new frameworks for understanding and managing zoonotic threats.
Research Impacts
This project has the potential to transform our understanding of zoonotic diseases and their environmental drivers, with wide-ranging implications for public health, ecology, and disease prevention.
Join Our Team
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Data Scientist
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Software Engineer
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Climate Scientist
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