Virus Dynamics investigates the evolutionary origins and dynamics of viruses, how viruses interact with host cell regulation, evolve virulence strategies, and develop exploitation strategies.

Research in the group investigates how cancer-causing viruses evolve and persist across biological scales, from within-host cellular interactions to transmission between individuals. These human oncogenic viruses are responsible for more than 10% of cancer cases worldwide, yet the ecological and evolutionary conditions shaping viral oncogenicity remain poorly understood. Mechanistic modelling approaches are used to understand the replication of viruses within hosts. For instance, modelling mosquito vector competence experiments reveals that the stochastic processes from low density populations of virions influence probability of mosquito midgut infection and variation in the dissemination rate.

Current work develops multiscale models linking within-host viral dynamics with epidemiological processes at the population level. By combining ecological theory with virology and evolutionary biology, the project aims to uncover the principles that drive the evolution of pathogencitiy and virulence across viral systems.

This work contributes to a broader understanding of host–pathogen interactions and demonstrates how mathematical ecology can provide insight into complex biomedical challenges.