Warren Lab
Principal Investigator: Cody Jay Warren
Institution: The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
Primary Subfield: Immunology
Recruitment Status: ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Many emerging zoonotic viruses (animal viruses that transmit to humans) are highly pathogenic, having the potential to cause deadly epidemics or even global pandemics. The risks zoonotic viruses pose are highlighted by the emergence of the SARS/MERS coronaviruses, Ebola virus, and HIV-1, all of which are related to animal viruses that were unknown before they caused substantial cases of disease in humans. Given the risk animal viruses pose to humans, many researchers have turned to viral discovery—using genome sequencing tools and metagenomic analyses, researchers hope to identify novel animal viruses before they emerge in humans. We've developed a pipeline that integrates viral surveillance with molecular investigations in the laboratory to identify pre-emergent viruses with epidemic potential. Using this approach, we've provided compelling evidence suggesting that simian arteriviruses (SAVs)—understudied and neglected pathogens of African monkeys—are poised for spillover, posing a threat to human health. We demonstrate key biological features that poise SAVs for zoonosis, including: (1) compatibility with human receptors; (2) high titer propagation in hum…
Active NIH Awards
- 1R01AI189680-01A1: Mechanisms of simian arterivirus entry, immune evasion, and zoonotic potential (2026)
- 5R00AI151256-04: Identifying genetic barriers to animal virus replication in human cells: Insights into zoonosis (2024)
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