Emerging Pathogens Institute

Hope everyone had a great time learning all about Vibrio bacteria at our symposium yesterday 🦠 Thank you to our EPI members and special guests from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Harvard University and Case Western Reserve University for making this event possible!

"Ebola outbreak”: few phrases carry more weight in the infectious disease community. Four experts from the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute — John Lednicky, Ph.D., Soung Brice, Ph.D., Ira Longini, Ph.D., and Glenn Morris, M.D., M.P.H. & T.M. — gathered to address this specific Ebola strain and the current outbreak, drawing on lessons from previous outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and examining it at a microscopic level to understand how it operates.

Read more about the Bundibugyo outbreak on our website: https://go.ufl.edu/ktmba7l

Congratulations to Luke Trimmer-Smith, Ph.D., for winning first place in the early-stage investigator poster competition at EPI Research Day 2026! 👏

Trimmer-Smith is an assistant scientist at EPI and secured first place for his collaborative study, antigenically mapping dengue serotypes over five decades.

Check out our website to learn more about his research: https://go.ufl.edu/9sr9gvs

Congratulations to Pamela S. Salvador Dutra, Ph.D., for winning first place in the postdoctoral poster competition at EPI Research Day 2026! 👏

She accepted the award on behalf of the Dewdney Lab for their dedicated work on fungal infections in the citrus industry.

Check out our website to learn more about her research: https://go.ufl.edu/jzytt7u

Congratulations to Nimra Khalid, D.V.M., for winning first place in the graduate poster competition at EPI Research Day 2026! 👏

Her collaborative study explored how a common and safe pesticide targets the energy-generating mechanism of bacterial cells. This research demonstrates that the pesticide could serve as a safe alternative to antibiotics.

Check out our website to learn more about her research: https://go.ufl.edu/3txuk2h

Congratulations to Sarah Acra for winning first place in the undergraduate poster competition at EPI Research Day 2026! 👏

She and her team, led by UF PHHP Associate Professor Tracie Baker, Ph.D., studied the effect of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” on zebrafish.

Check out our website to learn more about her research: https://go.ufl.edu/zrej28e

As an Atlantic cruise ship remains isolated off the South African coast due to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, the world watches with anticipation to learn more about this uncommon but dangerous infectious disease.

EPI members Safder Ganaie, Ph.D., John Lednicky, Ph.D. and Amy Vittor, M.D., Ph.D. explain the symptoms, transmission and treatment behind this rare virus.

Click the link to learn more: https://go.ufl.edu/gm8pdoc

What if we could change the future of infectious disease?

At the University of Florida College of Medicine, Norman L. Beatty, M.D., FACP, is leading the charge against disease — uncovering how it progresses, where it’s spreading and advancing new treatments for patients.

Because experts don’t just study diseases. They stay one step ahead of them.

Learn more about Beatty's breakthroughs at https://news.drgator.ufl.edu/2026/04/14/breakthroughs-begin-here-uf-expert-leads-the-charge-on-chagas-disease/.