Preparing the world for the next pandemic
At Scripps Research, scientists with expertise in antiviral drug discovery, vaccine development and viral surveillance are working to prepare the world for the next pandemic threat. Here, we introduce several experts who are available to discuss various aspects of pandemic preparedness with journalists.
We also invite you to explore multimedia resources highlighting their work.
Areas of focus
Antiviral drug development
Developing and stockpiling effective antiviral drug combinations that treat and prevent infection could save tens of millions of lives should a novel virus with pandemic potential emerge. Scientists at Scripps Research and its drug discovery division Calibr-Skaggs are working to identify antiviral drug candidates for the H5N1bird flu and other viruses of high pandemic potential.
Viral surveillance and genomic epidemiology
Analysis of genomic data is a key part of monitoring for harmful changes in the viral genome, such as changes associated with increased transmissibility or more severe disease. Scripps Research computational biologists have developed tools to understand the transmission dynamics of viruses such as Zika, Ebola, SARS-CoV-2, mpox and now H5N1.
Vaccine development
Vaccines are a key tool for preventing an infectious disease outbreak from turning into a global pandemic. While vaccines for the H5N1 flu already exist, investment in new technologies is crucial to ensuring faster production times and the ability to quickly update shots to target new variants. Experts at Scripps Research have extensive expertise in vaccine design for HIV and influenza.
Experts Available
Experts from Scripps Research are available to discuss the field of regenerative medicine and their ongoing work with members of the press. To schedule an interview, contact the Office of Marketing and Communications – press@scripps.edu.
Resources
Everything we know about H5N1 bird flu | Science Changing Life podcast with Arnab Chatterjee, PhD
Arnab Chatterjee, vice president of medicinal chemistry at Calibr-Skaggs, explains the need to invest in the best science to make sure we are more prepared than we were for the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.
How can we prepare for the next pandemic? | Science Changing Life podcast with Sumit Chanda, PhD
Sumit Chanda, an infectious disease expert and immunologist, discusses everything from pandemic preparedness to drug discovery, as well as his unrelenting drive to uncover new treatments.
Delivering medicines for a global population | Front Row lecture with Arnab Chatterjee, PhD
Medicinal chemist Arnab Chatterjee discusses how the Calibr-Skaggs Institute of Innovative Medicines is using new approaches and technologies to overcome barriers to delivering safe and effective medicine to countries around the globe.
Beyond COVID-19: Preparing for future pandemic threats | Front Row lecture with Sumit Chanda, PhD
Leading infectious disease researcher Sumit Chanda shares his research on how pathogens infect cells and how the immune system responds.
Long-acting combination HIV regimens have the potential to transform the future of coordinated HIV clinical care.
What are Universal Vaccines? Science, simplified
Scientists are closer than ever before to developing vaccines that can protect against many variants of a given virus, and potentially against entire virus families.
The search for universal vaccines
In recent years, scientist at Scripps Research have made significant progress toward creating universal vaccines for influenza, HIV and coronavirus.
The search for universal vaccines: Coronavirus
Discoveries made at Scripps Research were critical for the rapid development of the mRNA vaccines for COVID-19. Scientists have since turned their attention to universal coronavirus vaccines that could protect people from many variants of the virus.
The search for universal vaccines: Flu
Top scientists at Scripps Research describe efforts to develop universal vaccines for influenza, and the impact these elusive immunizations could have on the world.
The search for universal vaccines: HIV
Researchers at Scripps Research are focused on developing an effective HIV vaccine using a novel strategy: eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies that can protect against many variants of a virus.
Press release: Advancing toward a preventative HIV vaccine
Across four preclinical studies, Scripps Research, IAVI, and additional collaborators make headway in stimulating the rare antibodies needed to fight HIV.
Following approval from Australia’s HREC, the clinical trial investigating UVAX-1107 and UXAX-1197 will initiate in January 2024.
Press release: “Nano particle” flu vaccine design shows promise in early tests
Scripps Research-designed vaccine could provide broad, enduring protection against influenza A strains, including pandemic strains
Press release: Genetic tracing at the Huanan Seafood market further supports COVID animal origins
An international collaboration between Scripps Research, Univeristy of Arizona, CNRS and others provides additional analysis of how the pandemic began.
Scripps Research scientists and collaborators uncovered the relative effectiveness of different COVID-19 mandates, helping guide health policy for future viral threats.
Press release: Scripps Research receives $1.5M to surveil infectious disease threats in wastewater
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation award to support the development of multi-pathogen wastewater surveillance tools and protocols.