Viruses have shaped the evolutionary trajectory of all life, and they represent one of the greatest threats to humanity. Smallpox virus killed an estimated 500 million individuals between the 14th and 20th centuries, altering dynasties and influencing the European conquest of the Americas. West Nile virus helped propagate the slave trade, polio and measles viruses influenced human migration patterns, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to shape the population demographics of entire countries.

We have also observed four major influenza A virus pandemics in the past century and are presently combating a pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, all accounting for significant morbidity and mortality. In addition to these known agents, countless emerging pathogens, including mpox virus and Ebola virus, continue to surface as the human population expands into uncharted microbe-laden areas. Our mission at the NYU Langone Virology Institute aims to understand and combat these viruses and the diseases they cause.