Cider /Ceirr Network Email & Phone Number

The Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research (CIDER) is an NIH-funded consortium that integrates human cohort studies with state-of-the-art fundamental research. The center is based at the University of Georgia, with four national and international partner institutions, adding complementary expertise. Center activities emphasize a plurality of disciplinary approaches, encompassing virology, immunology, ecology, clinical research, molecular systematics, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and computational biology. CIDER has Human Cohorts on multiple continents, with national and international sites encompassing northern and southern hemispheres. These sites enable longitudinal human influenza sampling of adults and children, including assessment of vaccination, high-risk populations, and individuals hospitalized with severe disease. The Human Cohorts and sampling within CIDER may potentially address fundamental questions surrounding influenza vaccination, infection, and disease severity. The research project involves a team of investigators at three CIDER institutions, capitalizing on investigator expertise through collaboration within the CIDER network. It will use animal models address pathogenesis from and immunity to influenza B virus. The project will also use computational models to address epidemiology and evolution of influenza B viruses. Together these studies will dissect what differentiates influenza A and B viruses and host responses to infection, driving distinct evolutionary paths and influencing influenza epidemiology. The CIDER consortium provides research capacity for pandemic risk assessment and response strategies. The CIDER sequencing and bioinformatics pipeline supports full-genome sequencing for viruses and using defined criteria, virus isolates from within CIDER or the CEIRR network will be selected for Risk Assessment. The Pre-pandemic and pandemic emergency response team, working collaboratively with the CEIRR network, will contribute to ongoing risk assessment of isolated viruses, as well as maintain other activities to support pandemic preparedness and response. CIDER supports a strong team of bioinformaticists, computational biologists who are integrated within human cohort, surveillance, and research projects to further understand fundamental processes influencing influenza emergence, transmission, and disease.