The trillions of microbes in and on our bodies, known collectively as the microbiome, play a big role in human health—and disease. 

Virologists are taking note. The gut microbiome’s impact on viral infections will be the focus of a satellite session at the American Society for Virology’s 37th annual meeting July 14–18 at the University of Maryland, College Park. 

“The gut microbiome seems to be able to alter the immune system’s response to infection, thereby changing the infection from sometimes mild or unapparent to very severe,” says Andrew Pekosz, PhD, a professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and ASV president-elect.

Bloomberg School students and faculty at the event will present research on topics including Zika and influenza viruses, brain swelling caused by mosquito-borne viruses, and the spread of viral proteins in neurons.

Expected to attract about 1,500 scientists, the event will also provide a wealth of career information for young researchers. 

“The meeting is always focused primarily on students and post-docs and their careers and allowing them to present their findings,” Pekosz says.  

Bioterrorism, global pandemics and natural disasters are the stuff of dystopian nightmares. 

They’re also among the potential crises the Center for Health Security regularly considers in its work to strengthen response and prevent large-scale public health disasters.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary—and one year since its return to the School from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, its home from 2003 to 2017—the Center was launched by former dean and bioterrorism expert D.A. Henderson, MD, MPH ’60, who led the global campaign that eradicated smallpox in 1980.

In much of his later work, Henderson prioritized improving America’s health security, holding top government positions and advising several presidents. He sounded the alarm on the emerging bioterrorism threat and questioned the ability of governments to respond to substantial health emergencies such as a potential anthrax attack.

He was right to worry. 

“Since [1998], we’ve seen not only the anthrax events of 2001, but H5N1 bird flu emerge in Asia, the SARS epidemic—which had a profound effect on the global economy and tourism—H1N1, Ebola, Zika, MERS,” says Center Director Tom Inglesby, MD. “One event after the next has shown how important it is to be prepared for and able to respond to infectious disease emergencies.” An influenza pandemic, he says, tops the list of potential global health security threats.

Powerful weather events, advances in biotechnology and threats of weaponized biological agents further underscore the need for global vigilance in preparation and response. Improving government programs and policy around these threats is a Center priority.

Much of the work going on in health security is “unheralded—when prevention and preparedness for emergencies is successful, crisis is averted,” Inglesby says. “In periods in between crises, people neglect these issues. We need to find ways to build systems that are sustainable, that don’t require a crisis to motivate us to do what we need to do.”

The Center for Health Security is housed in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering.