Institute of Infection and Global Health

Institute of Infection and Global Health is a research and teaching institute located within the University of Liverpool integrating biomedical science, clinical practice, and public health. It combines laboratory research, translational studies, and postgraduate education to address infectious diseases, global health challenges, and antimicrobial resistance. The institute engages with international organizations, healthcare providers, and research funders to influence policy and practice.

History

Founded in 2008 by consolidation of existing departments at the University of Liverpool, the institute built on legacies from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine's collaborations with the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council. Early strategic alliances involved the European Commission, the National Institute for Health and Care Research, the World Health Organization, and philanthropic donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Key developments paralleled major events including the 2014–2016 Ebola virus epidemic, the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, shaping priorities toward outbreak response, vaccine development, and global surveillance. Institutional milestones referenced influential figures and institutions such as Sir William Osler, Rosalind Franklin, Alexander Fleming, Louis Pasteur, and the Pasteur Institute through cooperative projects, while governance intersected with bodies like the UK Research and Innovation council, the Royal Society, and the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Research and Centres

Research spans pathogen biology, vaccinology, antimicrobial resistance, clinical trials, and implementation science, with thematic centres named after benefactors and partner institutions. Laboratories coordinate work on bacterial pathogens, viral immunology, parasitology, and vector biology alongside groups focused on genomics, bioinformatics, and structural biology connected to resources like the European Bioinformatics Institute and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Major research programmes have collaborated with the National Health Service, Public Health England, Public Health Wales, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Global Fund. Translational units interact with pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, while clinical trial networks link to the Clinical Trials Unit at University College London, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and the Karolinska Institutet. Research outputs have been cited in journals associated with the Lancet, Nature, Science, New England Journal of Medicine, and PLOS, and have been supported by grants from Horizon 2020, the Wellcome Trust, the Gates Foundation, and the Medical Research Council.

Education and Training

The institute delivers postgraduate programmes, doctoral training, and continuing professional development with curricula aligned to qualification frameworks used by the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, Oxford University, King's College London, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Training pathways include MSc programmes, MRes routes, and PhD supervision, with links to clinical training at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital, and Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Professional development encompasses modules and short courses developed with partners such as the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Pathologists, the Faculty of Public Health, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, while exchange opportunities involve the University of Toronto, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the University of Cape Town. Alumni have taken posts at institutions including the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Médecins Sans Frontières, the World Health Organization, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Clinical and Public Health Impact

Clinical translation has included vaccine trials, diagnostic development, and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives impacting hospitals such as Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, and Broadgreen Hospital. Public health contributions informed policy discussions at the World Health Organization, the European Commission, and national health agencies including Public Health England and NHS England, and have been evident during outbreaks with operational links to emergency response systems used in the 2014–2016 Ebola response, the Zika virus epidemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Impact has been realized through partnerships with local authorities in Liverpool, Merseyside Police, and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, and through engagement with non-governmental organizations such as Oxfam, Save the Children, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The institute maintains partnerships across academia, healthcare, industry, and international agencies. Academic collaborators include the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the University of Manchester, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, the University of Birmingham, and international partners such as the University of São Paulo, Peking University, Tsinghua University, the University of Melbourne, and Stellenbosch University. Healthcare and public health links involve the National Health Service trusts, Public Health Wales, Health Protection Scotland, and the European Medicines Agency; industry collaborations have included projects with Roche, Abbott Laboratories, Novartis, and Merck. International agency engagement spans the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Global Fund, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Collaborative networks extend to research consortia such as ISARIC, EDCTP, and the Global Health Security Agenda.

Category:University of Liverpool Category:Medical research institutes in the United Kingdom Category:Infectious disease organizations