New variants of the coronavirus behind the Covid-19 pandemic arise constantly, with some, such as Delta, driving new waves of infections and subsequent deaths. What kinds of genetic changes make some variants of SARS-CoV-2 more dangerous and why have virologists long been concerned about coronaviruses in particular? And what do studies of old foes such as influenza, HIV and SARS tell us about the course that SARS-CoV-2 may take and how we might prepare for the changes ahead?

Join us for a discussion and Q&A with two experts and get your questions answered.

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Edward Holmes, Virologist, University of Sydney

📷Renowned for his work on the emergence and evolution of infectious diseases, Edward Holmes’ research focuses on the ecological and genetic factors that enable RNA viruses to jump between species and to cause disease outbreaks. He is the coauthor of a recent Cell review on the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and has published many studies on influenza and other pathogens. A fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and of the Royal Society, Holmes is an ARC Australian Laureate Fellow at the University of Sydney, holds a faculty appointment in the medical school, and is a member of the Charles Perkins Centre and Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity.

Lisa Gralinski, Virologist, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

📷Lisa Gralinski studies disease-causing coronaviruses, how they interact with the human immune system, and how those interactions can result in a wide range of outcomes, from overcoming the viral infection to more serious, virus-induced, immune-mediated disease. An assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at University of North Carolina, she also studies how genetics of the host influence the severity of respiratory virus infection. Her goal is to discover targets for antiviral and immune modulatory drugs that lessen the burden of respiratory virus disease.

Moderator: Eva Emerson, Editor in Chief, Knowable Magazine from Annual Reviews📷

Eva Emerson is the founding editor of Knowable Magazine. Previously, she was Editor in Chief of Science News magazine.

This event is part of Reset: The Science of Crisis & Recovery, an ongoing series of live events and science journalism exploring how the world is navigating the coronavirus pandemic, its consequences and the way forward. Reset is supported by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Knowable Magazine is a product of Annual Reviews, a nonprofit publisher dedicated to synthesizing and integrating knowledge for the progress of science and the benefit of society. Major funding for Knowable comes from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

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The Science of Viral Variants: From Covid to the Flu