This episode explores the lived experiences of neurodivergent researchers in academia, from autism to ADHD.

Through candid conversations with scientists at different career stages, we uncover both the challenges they face in traditional academic environments and the unique strengths they bring to scientific discovery.

Our guests share practical strategies for supporting neurodiversity in research settings while advocating for systemic changes that could transform academia into a more inclusive space where different thinking styles are not just accommodated but celebrated as essential to innovation.

This great discussion was hosted by:

Dr. Amit Meir Ben Efraim, CVR Research Associate (Virology). Amit.meir@glasgow.ac.uk

Marina Kugler, CVR PhD student. Marina.kugler@glasgow.ac.uk

Dr. Vanessa Herder, CVR Research Fellow, Veterinary Experimental Pathologist (Virology). Vanessa.herder@glasgow.ac.uk

To celebrate pride month 2024, we hosted a Pride Picnic at the Garscube campus, along with UofG Cancer Sciences, Uofg School of Biodiversity and the CRUK Scotland Insititute.

The event allowed us to celebrate LGBTQIA+ individuals, start conversations about allyship in the workplace, and take pride in the inclusive community here at the CVR.

£649.89 was raised for the Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland at the event, a HIV and sexual health charity.

Listen to Dr Nir Drayman chat to Dr Mila Collados Rodriguez about his journey moving from Isreal to Chicago, to building his very own lab in California. Nir embraced the unexpected twists of life and found his passion for virology while working in systems biology labs.

He speaks about the challenges of navigating career opportunities, spousal hiring schemes and the meticulous process of choosing the flooring for your first laboratory. Nir gives advice on how to communicate your research effectively, convince committees to hire you and to embrace the individuality of every scientific path.

Find out more about Dr Nir Drayman here: UC Irvine - Faculty Profile System

Spanish virologist Nerea Irigoyen provides an inside look at her career with PhD students, Natasha Palmalux and Rozeena Arif.

Nerea details her pioneering work using ribosomal profiling to uncover the complexities of viral gene expression, as well as her experiences transitioning to an independent group leader role. Irigoyen also shares valuable guidance for early career researchers, especially those from Spain seeking to establish themselves internationally. Additionally, she stresses the benefits of diverse lab experiences and the need to develop resilience against online criticism.

Learn more about Nerea Irigoyen.

Dr Angela Rasmussen travelled from the University of Saskatchewan to the CVR in September 2023, and sat down with Spyros Lytras and Kieran Lamb.

Dr Angela Rasmussen is a virologist researching host responses to infection by integrating traditional virology with modern systems biology techniques to study highly pathogenic viruses.

Angela gives insight into dealing with toxic bosses, sustained research investments, empowering underrepresented groups of people, dealing with conflict and connecting with colleagues across disciplines through social media.

Learn more about Angela Rasmussen here.

Prof Wendy Barclay OBE, winner of the 11th Annual Sir Michael Stoker Award, sat down with Stephen Devlin and Anna Sims on her visit the the CVR.

Wendy is the head of the Department of Infectious Disease and chair in Influenza Virology at Imperial College London. A large focus of her work is the mechanism of transmission of viruses between animals and humans.

Wendy gives insight into building a career in virology, navigating the challenges of science communication in the digital age, the importance of widening your network and asking for help

PhD Student Stephen Devlin takes us on a deep dive into being an LGBTQIA+ scientist in the MRC-UofG CVR in the present day, and explores the story of Florence Nightingale (‘founder of modern nursing’) with the help of Anna Sims.

The CVR showcased a vibrant Diwali celebration filled with cultural tradition and mindful activities. Diwali is a joyous festival, known as the Festival of Lights and is celebrated by millions around the world.

Diwali marks the triumph of light over dark, and is typically symbolized with lighting of oil lamps, or Diyas, and bursting of fireworks. Attendees enjoyed delicious Indian cuisine catered by Bawarchi Glasgow (https://bawarchi-glasgow.co.uk/delivery). Participants also decorated Diyas with acrylic paint pens and coloured in some Rangoli patterns.

The event also featured storyboards displaying how different religions celebrate Diwali and the important stories behind the celebration. It was a fun, educational and festive celebration of Diwali’s rich cultural heritage.

Dr Antonio Ho, CVR Clinical Senior Lecturer and Consultant in Infectious Diseases speaks of her involvement in the COSERVO study.

High proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections were asymptomatic, but what limited testing was available were only restricted to those who were symptomatic. COVSERO study was designed to understand the proportion of the population that have been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 overtime in urban and rural setting.

Collaboration between the Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit and the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. Dr Antonio Ho co-led this with Professor Mia Crampin and Abena Amoah.

The unseen hands project is a co-creation between the Terrence Higgins Trust, Peer Support Scotland, and the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. The project aims to battle stigma head on, in an engaging and creative manner.

The initial concept ‘The Journey of a Blood Sample’ connected those who study and research blood-borne virus samples with the source of those samples- people. The name ‘Unseen Hands’ tributes those involved in the research process, often looked over.

The CVR maintained reducing stigma at the forefront of the project, by engaging with diagnosed people and listening to their experiences. Language used was also considered and inclusive, creating a safe environment for individuals to share their lived-experiences.

Read more about our Unseen Hands Project here.

Dr Kamilla Toon, Dr Michael Oliver & colleagues use AlphaFold to uncover a potentially novel fusion mechanism in the Hepaci-, Pegi- and Pestiviruses.

'Structures of the Hepaci-, Pegi- and Pestiviruses envelope proteins suggest a novel membrane fusion mechanism' has been published in PLOS Biology.

Read the paper here: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002174

The membrane fusion mechanism for many enveloped viruses is unknown. Using machine learning such as AlphaFold, rather than traditional experimental approaches, allows rapid and accurate prediction of protein structures. The authors discovered that the E1 protein has a conserved and novel structure, suggesting a common and previously unknown fusion mechanism. This work will guide further experiments to understand this mechanism and may also help vaccine design for viruses such as #HepC. 💰

Thank you to our funders - Wellcome Trust, MRC and Royal Society. 📱

Follow our researchers on Twitter: @GroveLab, @KamillaToon, @cb99_lewis, @sdevlinbio, @Paleovirologist

Associate Professor Anice Lowen travelled all the way from Atlanta's Emory University to deliver the Richard M. Elliott Memorial Lecture at the Glasgow Virology Workshop.

Anice completed her PhD at the CVR (then MRC Virology Unit) with Richard Elliott. We invited Anice along to chat with a couple of our PhD students, Stephen Devlin and Anna Sims.

Anice’s research has a focus on influenza A transmission and genome reassortment. Listen her to her talking about her career path and her advice for early career researchers.

Find out more about Anice and the Lowen Lab.

There is strong evidence that the virus AAV2, alongside an underlying genetic predisposition, played a key role in cases of acute hepatitis in children, according to a study published in Nature – the first detailed research investigation into the worldwide outbreak.

In this podcast, host Stephen Devlin takes a deep dive into this new publication with lead author Dr Antonia Ho, Bioinformatician Dr Richard Orton and Pathologist Dr Vanessa Herder. The peer-reviewed study, which was led by researchers at the University of Glasgow in collaboration with the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, Public Health Scotland (PHS) and ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium) WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK (CCP-UK), found that the common virus AAV2 (adeno-associated virus 2) was present in a range of different samples taken from children with acute unexplained hepatitis.

In contrast, AAV2 was not found to be commonly present in samples taken from children in the control groups. Researchers believe that AAV2 virus may have played a key role in the development of acute hepatitis in a small number of young children around the world.

Read the Nature publication 'Adeno-associated virus 2 infection in children with non-A-E hepatitis' here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05948-2

In 2021, the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research was announced as one of the winners of the Queens Anniversary Prize. This was awarded for advanced virology research to combat diseases such as Hepatitis C and dengue virus, and leading expertise in the secure handling of samples and testing antivirals.

Professor John McLauchlan, a leading expert in viral hepatitis at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, delves into the global impact of Hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus affecting 71 million people worldwide.

With the World Health Organization's goal to eliminate Hepatitis C by 2030, the CVR has been at the forefront of research. Through initiatives like co-founding HCV Research UK, the team has created a cohort of 12,000 individuals living with Hepatitis C, supporting over 70 studies to better understand the virus and improve treatment. The HCV-GLUE computing resource aids clinicians in predicting treatment resistance, guiding optimal care.

Vaccine development for hepatitis C is difficult because of the high diversity of variants. An approach is being explored involving the mimicking of parts of the virus that are targeted by antibodies to neutralise infections.

Through all of these initiatives, the CVR is contributing to the World Hearth Organizations goal of eliminating Hepatitis C.

Researcher Thomas Ant presents dengue virus research at the CVR, contributing to the award of the Queens Anniversary Prize in 2021 being presented to the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.

Almost half of the world’s population is at risk of contracting dengue fever, a viral disease causing around 40,000 death per year worldwide. Dengue virus is mainly transmitted by the aggressive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is difficult to control through traditional methods.

The CVR research focused on implementing a new environmentally friendly and effective technique for dengue control. This was done by introducing a natural insect bacteria called Wolbachia into the mosquito populations. Wolbachia rapidly spread and effectively block the transmission of dengue virus. The release program in partnership with the Malaysian government reduced dengue transmission in some areas of urban Kuala-Lumpur as much as 85%.

Three of our incredible researchers, Stephen Devlin, Anna Sims and Spyros Lytras, sat down to discuss some prominent LGBTQIA+ virologists and microbiologists from history and why it's important to celebrate them today.

PhD Student, Anna Sims, has uncovered the secret world of Influenza A infections.

By using plaque assays and fluorescent microscopy, Anna's research has revealed during coinfection, different strains of flu in the lungs may form territories which block other viruses from infecting that area, leading to a patchwork affect.

Read the paper here: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001941

Professor Christian Drosten talks about his coronavirus research, challenges of science communication and the song that a German punk band wrote about him!

On Monday 9 January, we welcomed 2022 Sir Michael Stoker Award winner Professor Christian Drosten to the CVR. This annual award is awarded to a highly reputable scientist to honour their significant contributions within the field of virology who have excellent transparency with their research, regularly engaging with both the public and within the research community. Candidates are nominated and voted for by students, postdocs and technical staff within the CVR - and winners are invited to the CVR for the day to receive the award, meet with our early career researchers and give a seminar.

The winner of the 10th edition of the award, Professor Drosten is the director of the Institute of Virology at the Charite University Hosptial in Berlin, and is an instrumental figure in the field of coronaviruses , particularly in the areas of cross-immunity and host adaption. Some of his career highlights include the co-discovery of SARS-CoV, development of the first diagnostic WHO-approved RT-qPCR against SARS-CoV-2 and the development of RNA and antibody assays against MERS-CoV, which first implicated camels as the primary reservoir. Christian also has a general interest in the evolution, epidemiology and host-adaption of many other emerging viruses such as Ebolavirus, Avian Influenza and Zika Virus.

Dr Joanne Haney finished her PhD and her research was published in Nature Microbiology in October 2022. Read the paper here: Coinfection by influenza A virus and respiratory syncytial virus produces hybrid virus particles | Nature Microbiology

Watch Jo discuss this research which involved coinfection of human lung cells with Influenza A virus and respiratory syncytial virus. By using lots of imaging techniques, she could see how the viruses interacted and the consequences this came with.

The study revealed the existence of hybrid virus particles, containing structural and genome components from both viruses. These result in functional consequences and altered biological properties.

Unseen Hands is a partnership between the CVR and the Terrence Higgins Trust Peer Support Scotland Group (THT) which aims to explore the many different experiences of living with a blood-borne virus (BBV).

Through bringing fundamental virologists together with people living with a BBV we aim to encourage engagement, participation and sharing individual lived experience to connect with and inform research practice.

In doing so, we hope to break down barriers and encourage communication to address and reduce stigma and discrimination. We brought together people living with & affected by BBVs from across Scotland, as well as supporting charities, researchers and funding bodies. Together we developed an action-led manifesto for the future of BBV research & support which puts lived experience at its heart.

Read more about the project here: https://cvr-engagement.co.uk/unseen-hands