Professor Jonathan Heeney
- Comparative Pathology of Viral Infections
- Head of the Lab of Viral Zoonotics
- Contact: jlh66@cam.ac.uk
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Jonathan Heeney is Head of The Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics. Research focuses on cross species transmissions of viruses, and the co-evolution of viruses and their hosts including the evolution of immune mechanisms of disease protection in naturally infected but disease resistant species. Not only has this interest led to the discovery of a number of new viruses, but also genetic comparison of host and viral sequences from the same individual and sample have provided powerful genetic tools to solve some of nature's intriguing mysteries. Currently this laboratory applies these molecular technologies to address important questions concerning zoonotic infections of importance to both veterinary and human health.
Studies currently focus on understanding successful host immune responses to RNA viruses. Translationally this information is utilized for the rational design of novel vaccines for the prevention of diseases caused by notoriously complex viral pathogens.
Research
Research interests
Comparative Pathology of Viral Infections, Viral-host evolution (within generations, over millennia), Viral Zoonotics (why and how viruses jump species), the "Virome" in health and disease (immunodeficiencies), Successful host immune responses to RNA viruses (Vaccine development). We study Retroviruses and other RNA viruses which cause immune impairment and altered host responses.