NEIDL in the News

How do We Deal with Unknown Diseases? – Dr. Dennis Carroll
Dr Dennis Carroll is Director of the Emerging Threats Program at the U.S. Agency for International Development. We spoke to him at EIDA2Z about the current approach to tackling emerging diseases – and how we need to change it.
New Report Charts Ways to Expedite Research During Epidemics
Original article from: Scientific American posted on April 12, 2017. by Helen Branswell When the largest Ebola outbreak in history exploded across West Africa in 2014, public health authorities raced to test experimental vaccines and drugs they hoped would quell the massive epidemic. But the trials process was too slow, and in... More
NEIDL Researchers Present Case for Next-Level Research
Original article from: BU Today posted on March 7, 2017. by Art Jahnke Infectious disease experts and administrators from Boston University told the Boston Biosafety Committee (BBC) on Monday night that the ability to conduct research at Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) at BU’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory (NEIDL) would speed... More
Boston Public Health Commission to Consider NEIDL Research Request Tonight
Original article from: BU Today posted on March 6, 2017. by Sara Rimer The Boston Public Health Commission will hold a public meeting this evening, Monday, March 6, to discuss a request by Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) for permission to conduct research at Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4). More
Blood Test May Predict Who Lives or Dies with Ebola
Original article from: BU Today posted on January 23, 2017. by Barbara Moran In 2014, Ebola exploded across western Africa. It was the worst outbreak of the virus in recorded history, killing more than 11,000 people before it sputtered out in early 2016. In the Republic of Guinea, the epicenter of... More
Bring on the Ebola Research
Original article from: Boston Globe posted on December 29, 2016. by Dante Ramos For humanity to conquer Ebola and other deadly diseases, we need the right combination of scientists to study them from every possible angle. Where’s that more likely to happen — in a state-of-the-art biolab amid the world’s deepest... More
BU Biolab Gets Approval for Research on Deadliest Pathogens
Original article from: Boston Globe posted on December 24, 2016. by Evan Allen & Felicia Gans The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has approved a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory to operate on Boston University’s medical campus in the South End, according to the Boston Public Health Commission. Scientists in the National... More

Zika virus in Nicaragua with Eva Harris, PhD, at EIDA2Z 2016
Video Courtesy of American Society for Microbiology Eva Harris, PhD, University of California, Berkley, is interviewed by Vincent Racaniello, PhD, Columbia University, New York, about the status of Zika virus in Nicaragua. Harris has developed a multidisciplinary approach to study the molecular virology, pathogenesis, immunology, epidemiology, clinical aspects, and control... More
Emergency Response Exercise to be Conducted November 10, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 10, 2016 Contact: Colin Riley (617) 353-5386, criley@bu.edu (Boston) – On Thursday, November 10, between 9 a.m.- noon Boston University (BU) will conduct an emergency response exercise at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) located at 620 Albany Street. This simulation is part of the NEIDL’s ongoing... More
The 9 Deadliest Viruses on Earth
Original article from: Live Science posted on October 27, 2016. by Anne Harding Humans have been battling viruses since before our species had even evolved into its modern form. For some viral diseases, vaccines and antiviral drugs have allowed us to keep infections from spreading widely, and have helped sick people... More
This Week in Virology: Partnerships Not Parachutes
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Paul Duprex Guests: Ralph Baric, Felix Drexler, Marion Koopmans, and Stacey Schultz-Cherry From the EIDA2Z conference at Boston University, Vincent, Alan and Paul meet up with Ralph Baric, Felix Drexler, Marion Koopmans, Stacey Schultz-Cherry to talk about discovering, understanding, protecting, and collaborating on emerging infectious diseases. Become... More

How would we deal with a global outbreak? – Sir Roy Anderson
Sir Roy Anderson is a Professor at Imperial College London and the Director of the Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research. He told us about the need for an institute combining governments, scientists and industry for rapid action in the case of a global pandemic.

Tuberculosis: A leading cause of death – Prof William Bishai
Professor William Bishai is co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Tuberculosis Research. He spoke to us at EIDA2Z about the importance of global action on tuberculosis – which, despite being the leading infectious cause of death in the world, rarely makes the headlines.

Disease Surveillance in Uganda – Dr Julius Lutwama
Dr Julius Lutwama is a virologist at the Uganda Virus Research Institute. We spoke to him at EIDA2Z about studying viruses and diagnosing disease in the countries where they emerge.
A New Lead on Treatment for Ebola
Original article from: BU Research posted on September 30, 2016. by Elizabeth Dougherty In the book The Hot Zone, author Richard Preston called viruses like Ebola “molecular sharks”—mindless attackers made of almost nothing. Ebola virus, which causes often-fatal hemorrhagic fevers, carries just seven genes, none of which can do much without... More

Developing local capacity to study emerging viruses – Prof Ian Goodfellow
Ian Goodfellow is a Professor of Virology at the University of Cambridge. We spoke to him at EIDA2Z about the importance of building local capacity in low- and middle-income countries, so that emerging viruses can be identified and studied at their source.

Medical Guidelines for Emerging Pathogens – Dr Nahid Bhadelia
Dr Nahid Bhadelia is Director of Infection Control at the National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratories in Boston. We spoke to her at EIDA2Z about the importance of providing patients with the best quality of care during disease outbreaks, and how medical care can inform public health policy and future clinical protocols.
“Every Emerging Disease begins as a Mystery Story.” – David Quammen
Original video from: Microbiology Society aired on September 22, 2016 "This week, we went to the ‘Emerging Disease A2Z’ meeting in Boston to speak to some of the delegates about their work. Science writer David Quammen, author of 'Spillover' and 'Ebola', told us the challenges of writing about emerging diseases."
This Week in Virology #408 – Boston Quammens (video)
Original video from: American Society for Microbiology aired on September 24, 2016 Four years after filming 'Threading the NEIDL', Vincent Racaniello and Alan Dove return to the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory BSL4 facility at Boston University where they speak with science writer David Quammen. Watch more TWIVs here
This Week in Virology: Boston Quammens
Four years after filming 'Threading the NEIDL', Vincent Racaniello and Alan Dove return to the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory BSL4 facility at Boston University where they speak with science writer David Quammen.