The evolutionary and mechanistic basis of virus host shifts

Ben's research aims to understand what allows a virus to jump into a new host species and therefore potentially lead to the emergence of a new disease. Ben is based at the University of Exeter's Cornwall campus, where he uses insects and viruses as models to address fundamental questions about pathogen host shifts. He is investigating the factors that determine why viruses can infect some hosts but not others, and is examining how host adaptation and host range can affect the propensity of a virus to host shift.