MPhil Veterinary Virology

Overview

The University of Liverpool’s Institute of Infection and Global Health was established to bring together leading medical, veterinary and basic science researchers from across the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

Research in Veterinary Virology is based in new laboratories at two main sites, the ic2 Building on the main University city centre campus, and at our Leahurst campus on the Wirral (20 mins from Liverpool).

Our research encompasses studies of the pathogenicity, diagnostics, identification, epidemiology and immune responses to a range of viral pathogens including: avian metapneumovirus; infectious bronchitis virus, feline calicivirus, Mosquito-borne arboviruses, Bluetongue virus and Schmallenberg virus. Techniques used include: diagnostic identification methods, flow cytometry, ELISA, epidemiology, transcriptomic and genomic technologies, proteomics and infection models.

The aims of the research are to investigate the transmission routes and behaviour of pathogens during infections and use this knowledge to design better therapeutic strategies or vaccines in order to improve the health of animals.

Research themes

Our research in veterinary virology spans a range of different virus families, which are linked to a broad spectrum of clinical diseases. These include the following areas:

• Molecular immunopathogenesis of avian respiratory pathogens
• Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.
• Diversity, evolution and transmission of important veterinary viral pathogens
• Malignant catarrhal fever of domestic cattle
• Mosquito-borne arboviruses.