A mini podcast exploring new research tracking COVID-19 immunity in Malawi. First author, Dr Mhairi McCormack, explains how infection, vaccination, and variant waves shaped protection in urban and rural communities and why children and people living with HIV may face higher risks. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-22599-7

In this episode, Dan Liu, a newly graduated PhD student from the MRC-UofG Centre for Virus Research, shares the story behind PLM-interact — a new AI-powered model published in Nature Communications.

By teaching artificial intelligence to understand the “language” of proteins, her research helps predict how proteins interact, offering new insights into virus–host relationships and the molecular machinery of life itself.

Read the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64512-w

Flu viruses use secret cellular tunnels to escape your immune system! New research from Daniel Weir and colleagues uncovers influenza's most elusive escape route - tunnelling nanotubes that let viruses spread completely undetected.

🔗 KEY RESOURCES:

📄 Research Paper: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013191

🦠 More from Daniel Weir and the Hutchinson Lab: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/aboutus/people/researchgroups/hutchinsongroup/

📱 Follow for more from the CVR:

https://x.com/CVRinfo

https://bsky.app/profile/cvrinfo.bsky.social

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr/

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.

https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/

Amit Meir Ben Efraim

Marina Kugler

Vanessa Herder

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. 🔗 Links Find out more about Nir Drayman: https://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=7088 Follow Nir on X: https://twitter.com/NirDrayman Follow Mila on X: https://twitter.com/CacaoL8ver Find out more about the CVR: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CVRinfo Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvrinfo/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

Spanish virologist Nerea Irigoyen provides an inside look at her career with PhD students from the Castello Lab, 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, and she stresses the benefits of diverse lab experiences and the need to develop resilience against online criticism.

🔗 Links

Learn more about Nerea Irigoyen: https://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/staff/nerea-irigoyen

Find out more about the CVR: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CVRinfo Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvrinfo/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

Dr Angela Rasmussen travelled from the University of Saskatchewan to the CVR in September 2023, and sat down with Spyros Lytras and Kieran Lamb. 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. 🔗 Links More about Angela Rasmussen: https://www.vido.org/team/project-leaders-veterinarians/angela-rasmussen Follow Spyros on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SpyrosLytras Follow Kieran on Twitter/X:https://twitter.com/Kieran12Lamb Find out more about the CVR: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CVRinfo Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvrinfo/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mrc-uofg-cvr

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 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. 🔗 Links More about Wendy Barclay, including contact information: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/w.barclay Follow Stephen on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/sdevlinbio Follow Anna on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/annasimsbiol Find out more about the CVR: https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/cvr/