What is Cambridge Infectious Diseases (CID)?

About CID

Fostering the culture of convergence in research

Combating infectious diseases remains as important as ever. A combination of basic and applied research has historically led to some extraordinary success stories, such as the eradication of smallpox. Yet, recent events remind us that the emergence of a new infectious disease can rapidly traverse contents and threaten the health of the population on a global scale. With a society fighting a viral pandemic and the increasing concern of drug-resistant pathogens, infectious disease researchers face plenty of challenges that require coordinated networks of scientists and institutions. 

What is Cambridge Infectious Diseases?

Cambridge Infectious Diseases (CID) is a virtual centre for infectious diseases researchers at the University of Cambridge and affiliated institutes. We became a University Interdisciplinary Research Centre in 2016. 

Our vision is to build a world-leading interdisciplinary centre with the capacity to develop innovative solutions for intractable infectious disease problems and support evidence for infectious disease policy.

Our strategic aims include:

  • to connect a diverse research community;
  • to create increased opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborative research;
  • to translate and share knowledge bringing the benefits of innovation to all sections of industry, government and society;
  • to develop external partnerships;
  • and to equip the next generation of researchers with the knowledge, experience and skills for interdisciplinary research.

Our activities support the practice of collaboration, operating as a connector and catalyzer of existing and new initiatives, supporting the capacity of researchers to develop new research collaborations, and acting as a gateway for industry, policymakers and the public to access Cambridge expertise in infectious diseases.

The Cambridge Infectious Diseases IRC provides a model of how a small administrative infrastructure, with academic input from members, can initiate and support a range of collaborations, training events and information resources, thereby ultimately leading to better collaborative research.

Who is part of the CID Network?

Our virtual network connects over 300 infectious diseases researchers across the University and sector-leading institutes in Cambridge and beyond. Our members include over a hundred Principal Investigators and are from all six schools of the University, including members from biological sciences, medicine, physical sciences, social sciences, humanities, computer science, engineering and technology.

Any researcher in the University of Cambridge working on infectious diseases can join the network, independently of their research stage or experience. By joining, you will get a profile in our directory and will be included in the internal mailing list. Researchers outside the University can join the CID external mailing list to receive information about the latest events. See more info in our Join Us section.