Persistent Infections
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Congenital, Genital and Transplant-Acquired Infections – Genomics of Human Cytomegalovirus
Dr Andrew Davison, Lead Investigator, in collaboration with Prof Sheila Graham and Prof Ruth Jarrett, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), University of Glasgow.
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can be a serious issue for people whose immune systems are immature or not working properly. It is a major cause of foetal infections, a leading cause of illness in transplant recipients, and a problem for AIDS patients.
HCMV has a large genome, but new methods make it possible for us to understand the role that differences among viral strains play in infection. To make this practical, we have created a rapid way of sequencing complete HCMV genomes directly from clinical samples. We plan to relate viral variation to the outcome of infection in various groups, particularly transplant recipients. This will
involve analysing viral genome sequences in over 1000 infected patients.
In other projects, we will use modern approaches to study the functions of unusual HCMV RNAs and work out whether this might provide new ideas for drugs to treat infections.
Finally, we will apply our techniques to a relative of HCMV called human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6). This will help us understand whether the 1% of humans who have an HHV6 genome integrated into all their cells, and are capable of passing it to their children, are at risk of particular diseases.
Dr Andrew Davison, Lead Investigator, in collaboration with Prof Sheila Graham and Prof Ruth Jarrett, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), University of Glasgow.
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can be a serious issue for people whose immune systems are immature or not working properly. It is a major cause of foetal infections, a leading cause of illness in transplant recipients, and a problem for AIDS patients.
HCMV has a large genome, but new methods make it possible for us to understand the role that differences among viral strains play in infection. To make this practical, we have created a rapid way of sequencing complete HCMV genomes directly from clinical samples. We plan to relate viral variation to the outcome of infection in various groups, particularly transplant recipients. This will
involve analysing viral genome sequences in over 1000 infected patients.
In other projects, we will use modern approaches to study the functions of unusual HCMV RNAs and work out whether this might provide new ideas for drugs to treat infections.
Finally, we will apply our techniques to a relative of HCMV called human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6). This will help us understand whether the 1% of humans who have an HHV6 genome integrated into all their cells, and are capable of passing it to their children, are at risk of particular diseases.
Technical Summary
Understanding the role that viral variation plays in human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) disease has been limited by the large size of the genome and the challenges of getting whole-genome data from patient samples. My group has created a high-throughput pipeline for sequencing complete HCMV genomes directly from clinical material. We plan to capitalise on this by relating the diversity, evolution and strain dynamics of HCMV to clinical outcome in various groups, particularly transplant recipients. This will involve analysing viral genome sequence data from at least 1200 patient samples.
We have also used modern genomics and transcriptomics technologies to help establish a particular HCMV isolate (Merlin) as a well characterized research strain for use in laboratory studies. Using Merlin, we plan to determine the functions of HCMV long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), in order to assess whether they provide points at which HCMV infections might be suppressed. This will involve detailed functional characterization of viral mutants with completely characterised genomes.
Finally, we plan to provide added value to the congenital, genital and transplant-acquired infections programme by developing a pipeline for sequencing human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6) genomes. This will contribute to understanding the evolution and function of inherited chromosomal integration by this virus in human populations, on which evidence for clinical relevance is starting to accumulate from population studies.
We have also used modern genomics and transcriptomics technologies to help establish a particular HCMV isolate (Merlin) as a well characterized research strain for use in laboratory studies. Using Merlin, we plan to determine the functions of HCMV long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), in order to assess whether they provide points at which HCMV infections might be suppressed. This will involve detailed functional characterization of viral mutants with completely characterised genomes.
Finally, we plan to provide added value to the congenital, genital and transplant-acquired infections programme by developing a pipeline for sequencing human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6) genomes. This will contribute to understanding the evolution and function of inherited chromosomal integration by this virus in human populations, on which evidence for clinical relevance is starting to accumulate from population studies.
Organisations
- University of Glasgow (Lead Research Organisation)
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- University of Florida (Collaboration)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (Collaboration)
- University of St Andrews (Collaboration)
- University of Liege (Collaboration)
- Penn State University (Collaboration)
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute (Collaboration)
- Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (Collaboration)
- Western Infirmary, Glasgow (Collaboration)
- Hannover Medical School (Collaboration)
- Cardiff University (Collaboration)
- University of California, Davis (Collaboration)
- International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (Collaboration)
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) (Collaboration)
- Yale University (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
Publications
Aasen T
(2019)
Connexins in cancer: bridging the gap to the clinic.
in Oncogene
Adams MJ
(2016)
Eric Carstens: new life member of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).
in Archives of virology
Adams MJ
(2017)
Changes to taxonomy and the International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2017).
in Archives of virology
Adams MJ
(2015)
Ratification vote on taxonomic proposals to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2015).
in Archives of virology
Adams MJ
(2016)
Ratification vote on taxonomic proposals to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2016).
in Archives of virology
Adams MJ
(2017)
50 years of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses: progress and prospects.
in Archives of virology
Al Qaffas A
(2020)
Genome Sequence of Human Cytomegalovirus Ig-KG-H2, a Variant of Strain KG Propagated in the Presence of Neutralizing Antibodies.
in Microbiology resource announcements
Al Qaffas A
(2021)
LoReTTA, a user-friendly tool for assembling viral genomes from PacBio sequence data.
in Virus evolution
Argirion I
(2023)
Comparative Analysis of the Humoral Immune Response to the EBV Proteome across EBV-Related Malignancies.
in Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology
| Description | UK NEQAS for CMV DNA quantification |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Description | Biomedical Resource Development Grant (Dr Andrew Davison) |
| Amount | £532,413 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 108418/Z/15/Z |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2016 |
| End | 01/2021 |
| Description | Collaborative Award in Science (Dr Andrew Davison) |
| Amount | £2,669,767 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 204870/Z/16/Z |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2017 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | Prediction of Spillover Potential and Interventional En Masse Animal Vaccination to Prevent Emerging Pathogen Threats in Current and Future Zones of US Military Operation |
| Amount | $9,669,372 (USD) |
| Funding ID | HR001118S0017 |
| Organisation | Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 10/2018 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | Principals Early Career Mobility Fund (Dr Nicolás Suárez) |
| Amount | £4,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2017 |
| End | 08/2017 |
| Description | Research Grant (Dr Nicolás Suárez) |
| Amount | £12,336 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | S17-22 |
| Organisation | Tenovus Cancer Care |
| Department | Tenovus Scotland |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2018 |
| End | 06/2018 |
| Description | Research Incentive Grant (Dr Nicolás Suárez) |
| Amount | £8,194 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RIG007549 |
| Organisation | Carnegie Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2018 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Title | Betaherpesvirus PCR, rabies virus RT-PCR and rabies virus neutralising antibody test results for Peruvian bats |
| Description | This data record consists of a single dataset:
BHV_VBRV_testing_all_samples.xlsx.The dataset includes Betaherpesvirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Rabies virus reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and Rabies virus neutralising antibody test results for Peruvian bats (predominantly
Desmodus rotundus). The PCR samples (saliva, fecal and blood samples), were collected between 2015 and 2018.The Metadata tab provides descriptions of all the variables in the "BHV_PCR_VBRV_Set" tab.
Ethical approval: All capture and sampling of bats was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Glasgow School of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (Ref081/15) and by the University of Georgia Animal Care and Use Committee (A2014 04-016-Y3-A5). Field collections were authorized by the Peruvian government (RD-009-2015-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS, RD-264-2015 SERFOR-DGGSPFFS, RD-142-2015- SERFOR-DGGSPFFS, RD-054-2016-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS). Study aims and methodology: Rabies is a viral zoonosis transmitted by vampire bats across Latin America. Substantial public health and agricultural burdens remain, despite decades of bats culls and livestock vaccinations. Virally vectored vaccines that spread autonomously through bat populations are a theoretically appealing solution to managing rabies in its reservoir host. In this study, the authors investigated the biological and epidemiological suitability of newly discovered betaherpesvirus (DrBHV) to act as a vaccine vector. Specifically, the three main objectives of the study were: (1) to quantify BHV prevalence across populations and demographic groups of vampire bats in Peru, in comparison to that of VBRV, (2) to use phylogenetic analyses of DrBHV and other newly described bat BHVs to investigate the host specificity of DrBHV among sympatric bat species, and (3) to use deep sequencing to evaluate the potential for DrBHV super-infections in individual bats and obtain a whole genome sequence to evaluate the structural similarity of DrBHV to already developed BHV vectors.The following procedures are described in more detail in the published article: sample collection, nucleic acid extraction, amplification and sequencing of betaherpesviruses, molecular confirmation of bat species identities, amplification and sequencing of vampire bat rabies virus, detection of rabies virus neutralising antibodies, statistical analysis, phylogenetic inference, whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Betaherpesvirus_PCR_rabies_virus_RT-PCR_and_rab... |
| Title | Betaherpesvirus PCR, rabies virus RT-PCR and rabies virus neutralising antibody test results for Peruvian bats |
| Description | This data record consists of a single dataset:
BHV_VBRV_testing_all_samples.xlsx.The dataset includes Betaherpesvirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Rabies virus reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and Rabies virus neutralising antibody test results for Peruvian bats (predominantly
Desmodus rotundus). The PCR samples (saliva, fecal and blood samples), were collected between 2015 and 2018.The Metadata tab provides descriptions of all the variables in the "BHV_PCR_VBRV_Set" tab.
Ethical approval: All capture and sampling of bats was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Glasgow School of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (Ref081/15) and by the University of Georgia Animal Care and Use Committee (A2014 04-016-Y3-A5). Field collections were authorized by the Peruvian government (RD-009-2015-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS, RD-264-2015 SERFOR-DGGSPFFS, RD-142-2015- SERFOR-DGGSPFFS, RD-054-2016-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS). Study aims and methodology: Rabies is a viral zoonosis transmitted by vampire bats across Latin America. Substantial public health and agricultural burdens remain, despite decades of bats culls and livestock vaccinations. Virally vectored vaccines that spread autonomously through bat populations are a theoretically appealing solution to managing rabies in its reservoir host. In this study, the authors investigated the biological and epidemiological suitability of newly discovered betaherpesvirus (DrBHV) to act as a vaccine vector. Specifically, the three main objectives of the study were: (1) to quantify BHV prevalence across populations and demographic groups of vampire bats in Peru, in comparison to that of VBRV, (2) to use phylogenetic analyses of DrBHV and other newly described bat BHVs to investigate the host specificity of DrBHV among sympatric bat species, and (3) to use deep sequencing to evaluate the potential for DrBHV super-infections in individual bats and obtain a whole genome sequence to evaluate the structural similarity of DrBHV to already developed BHV vectors.The following procedures are described in more detail in the published article: sample collection, nucleic acid extraction, amplification and sequencing of betaherpesviruses, molecular confirmation of bat species identities, amplification and sequencing of vampire bat rabies virus, detection of rabies virus neutralising antibodies, statistical analysis, phylogenetic inference, whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Betaherpesvirus_PCR_rabies_virus_RT-PCR_and_rab... |
| Description | APHA |
| Organisation | Animal and Plant Health Agency |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 23552421 25199796 |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Cardiff |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Department | School of Medicine |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 18069056, 18649324, 19553388, 19906940, 20479471, 20679731, 22109557, 22345649, 23885075, 24787765, 25121749, 25875600, 25894764, 26842472, 28186488, 29691324, 30122656, 31050742, 31873071, 32690704, 32793512, 33586678 |
| Description | Cardiff |
| Organisation | University of Cambridge |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 18069056, 18649324, 19553388, 19906940, 20479471, 20679731, 22109557, 22345649, 23885075, 24787765, 25121749, 25875600, 25894764, 26842472, 28186488, 29691324, 30122656, 31050742, 31873071, 32690704, 32793512, 33586678 |
| Description | DARPA |
| Organisation | University of California, Davis |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data. |
| Impact | 32754877 |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Gainesville |
| Organisation | University of Florida |
| Department | Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generation, analysis and publication of data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generation, analysis and publication of data |
| Impact | 28774992, 29051247, 29748409, 30975798 |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Glasgow |
| Organisation | Western Infirmary, Glasgow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 18649324 |
| Start Year | 2006 |
| Description | Hanover |
| Organisation | Hannover Medical School |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 18649324, 19906940, 28368496, 31050742, 31310220, 32612959 |
| Start Year | 2006 |
| Description | ICTV |
| Organisation | International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Committee service |
| Collaborator Contribution | Committee service |
| Impact | 19066710, 25913692, 27424026, 27589978, 28134265, 28078475, 28434098, 29754305, 30663020, 31152249, 31187277, 31797129, 32341570, 32816125 |
| Description | Liège |
| Organisation | University of Liege |
| Department | Laboratory of Immunology - Vaccinology |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 24225498, 25700279, 26111587, 26339050, 27924936, 28182952, 28690142, 28794046, 29472472, 29716648, 32176737 |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Liverpool |
| Organisation | University of Liverpool |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 19940063, 22258857, 25767243 |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine |
| Organisation | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Analysing and publishing data. |
| Impact | 31050737, 31050742 |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Oslo |
| Organisation | Norwegian Veterinary Institute |
| Country | Norway |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | None yet |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Pavia |
| Organisation | Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo |
| Department | Servizio di Virologia |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 18649324, 20479471, 31050742 |
| Start Year | 2006 |
| Description | Penn |
| Organisation | Penn State University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 24227835 |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | St Andrews |
| Organisation | University of St Andrews |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 23449801, 24453358, 27445371, 30742688, 31189700 |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | UCL |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | MRC Centre for Medical Molecular Virology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data. Funded by Wellcome collaborative grant since April 2017. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 18649324, 19906940, 20479471, 33505707 |
| Start Year | 2006 |
| Description | Virginia |
| Organisation | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| Department | School of Medicine |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 22187535, 28391502, 32327516 |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Yale |
| Organisation | Yale University |
| Department | School of Medicine |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generating, analysing and publishing data |
| Impact | 24212889, 29474519 |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Title | GRACy |
| Description | GRACy is a bioinformatic tool designed for the analysis of Illumina data originated from human cytomegalovirus samples. GRACy can be used to perform read quality filtering, genotyping, de novo assembly, variant detection, annotation and data submission to public databases. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | A paper was published. |
| URL | https://academic.oup.com/ve/article/7/1/veaa099/6055565 |
| Title | LoReTTA |
| Description | LoReTTA (Long Read Template Targeted Assembler) is a reference-assisted de novo assembler specifically designed to deal with PacBio reads generated from viral genomes. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | A manuscript has been submitted for publication. |
| Description | 04/04/2021 Sheila Graham & Ilaria Epifano HPV Awareness |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Sheila Graham took part in a twitter thread and campaign around awareness for HPV. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/CVRinfo/status/1367414787903258625 |
| Description | 04/08/2021 - CVR Flagship Video - Massimo Palmarini |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | CVR's main publicity video used for all advertising of CVR things |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://youtu.be/KEzc2RDGThA |
| Description | 05/03/2021 Ilaria Epifano - Medical research Scotland Meet the Researcher |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Ilaria delivered a small presentation just with images of structure of the virus, she spoke about her ongoing project and her PhD one. And then did the build a virus activity, modified to do that from home. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | 24th Annual Glasgow Virology Workshop June 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The CVR hosted the 24th Glasgow Virology Workshop (GVW) on Friday VV June 2019 (Sir Charles Wilson Building, University of Glasgow). This annual one-day meeting aims to communicate the latest innovative science in the world of virology, and to promote interactions between scientists and a variety of stakeholders throughout the world. This meeting is an informal and welcoming one day event comprising a mix of presentations from both external and internal speakers, along with networking sessions. It is rounded off by an evening ceilidh to provide attendees with a more relaxed opportunity to engage with one another. The annual event attracts a wide age range of attendees (from undergraduate students through to healthcare professionals, members of the biotech industry to retired professors), providing an ideal opportunity to catch up with former colleagues, establish new collaborations, and listen to truly inspirational science. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch/ |
| Description | Annual PCR Workshops September 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Each year the CVR runs a series of 6 individual workshops for Higher Biology school pupils. Around 100 pupils attend each workshop and travel from schools throughout Scotland. The workshops are fully booked each year and run in collaboration with the Glasgow Science Centre and supported by Thermo Fisher. The workshops require the support of around 15-20 volunteers from the CVR and wider MVLS each year. The workshops provide pupils with experience and knowledge they would not normally receive until attending university. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch/ |
| Description | Blog post for HPV Awareness Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Blog post written by Ruth Abramson about HPV, cervical cancer and a new grant from the CSO for the Graham Lab to evaluate the effectiveness of self-taken vaginal samples for risk-stratifying cervical disease using molecular tests, with the work placing a particular focus on the use RNA biomarkers to identify the risk of disease progression in patients. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://cvr-engagement.co.uk/hpv-blog |
| Description | CVR Coffee Mornings |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We have been holding monthly coffee mornings for staff and students within our social space since 2017 to offer an informal opportunity for people working across the centre to meet and network. The events are regularly attended by 50-70 people each time with attendance continuing to grow. Staff and students have provided positive feedback about this opportunity to meet with one another and make use of it as a chance to discuss work related matters or simply to make new connections. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch/ |
| Description | CVR Stoker Award 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Every year, CVR early career scientists nominate and vote for an established, outstanding virologist who has made a significant contribution to their field. In 2019 CVR early career researchers presented the award to Professor Ann Palmenberg - plus podcast |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | CVR Travel Award |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | One PhD student and one post-doc are each awarded a prize of £1500 to use towards presenting at a conference of their choosing in 2020. The Students and Postdocs are asked to submit an abstract up to 400 words in length (excluding title, authors etc) detailing the work they wish to present at the conference. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Elephant herpesvirus |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Press release NA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_274500_en.html |
| Description | February 2017 Trust me I'm a Doctor - Dr Chris Boutell |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | In September 2016 Dr Chris Boutell was approached by the BBC and asked to review content for a show that would air on BBC 2 called Trust me I'm a Doctor. The show contained a short segment on herpes virus and Dr Boutell was asked questions and provided commentary on content to ensure accuracy. The show aired on prime time television in February 2017. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch |
| Description | Glasgow Science Festival Science Sunday - June 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | CVR researchers took a range of popular activities (build a virus, glovebox chamber game and Biolegomatics along to the Science Sunday event as part of the Glasgow Science Festival. 10 researchers from the CVR volunteered for the event and they estimated that they interacted with around 200 people over the course of the day. The activity was also supported by social media activity. MP Patrick Grady also made a point of visiting the stand to try an activity, take a photograph and tweet about the day. Stand visitors tend to have a keen interest in science but it is an opportunity for families to have a fun day out and learn something new. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/CVRinfo/with_replies |
| Description | March 2017 - Nico Suarez (Davison lab) - Radio Interview |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | In March 2017 Dr Nicolas Suarez was interviewed by a Gran Canaria- based radio show to discuss his research http://play.cadenaser.com/audio/000WB1459720170110111218/ the interview was also shared on CVR Facebook and Twitter accounts. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch |
| Description | May 2019 - MRC Public Engagement Training Session Steve Cross |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The MRC offered Public Engagement training from freelance consultant Steve Cross in May 2019. The session was offered to all MRC centres taking part in the MRC Festival of Medical Research across the UK. 12 CVR researchers including a mix of students and staff attended the session and provided positive feedback relating to their experience of the day. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Nuffield Bursary students |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | School pupils took up summer laboratory projects in separate years Engagement with the scheme opens the door for similar contributions from my group in future |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2016 |
| URL | http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/nuffield-research-placements |
| Description | Outbreak: The Pub Quiz |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Join scientists from the Centre for Virus Research for some infectious fun at this pub quiz! Scientists will share their expertise and challenge your knowledge about the viruses hitting the headlines |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Pint of Science talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Milagros Collados Rodriguez and Adam Fletcher gave a talk entitled 'A Virus at the Door' at the Pint of Science event in Glasgow |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | September 2018 - Connor Bamford and Betty Lau blog post |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | CVR postdoc Connor Bamford published a blog post written by postdoc Betty Lau to highlight a visit from Prof Kawaoka winner of the 2018 Sir Michael Stoker Award. The post was shared on Facebook and Twitter - https://cvrblog.myportfolio.com/visit-from-prize-winner-prof-kawaoka the post will be followed up by a podcast in future. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/centreforvirusresearch/ |
| Description | Tortoise herpesvirus |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Press release |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151029102730.htm |