Welcome to the Emerging Pathogens & Infectious Diseases Consortium
Welcome to EPIC – the Emerging Pathogens and Infectious Diseases Consortium.
EPIC brings together researchers, clinicians, and institutions across the University of Toronto and its hospital partners to advance infectious disease research and build lasting resilience against emerging threats.
This work builds on a long legacy: EPIC partners have played an integral role in infectious disease research for a century, from work that helped control diphtheria and eradicate smallpox, to today’s front-line research in antimicrobial resistance and infection control. Our collective response to COVID-19, highly pathogenic avian influenza, and mpox makes clear there’s never been a more important time to advance that work, from emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance to health inequities and public trust.
Building on this momentum, EPIC marshals the advanced research infrastructure and world-renowned research and training expertise of our EPIC partners to deliver an integrated, innovative response to the infectious disease challenges facing communities today and in the future.
Seven EPIC research clusters
Antimicrobial Resistance
Protecting the effectiveness of the medicines we depend on.
Chronic Infections
Addressing the long-term burden of infections that don’t resolve.
Emerging Pathogens
Detecting and responding to new and re-emerging threats before they spread.
Health Inequities
Ensuring infectious disease research and response reach everyone, equitably.
Health Systems Resilience
Building health systems that bend, not break, under infectious threats.
Misinformation, Disinformation & Public Trust
Strengthening public trust through clear, credible information.
Sepsis & Acute Respiratory Distress
Improving detection and treatment when every minute counts.
EPIC News
Meet Darrell Tan, the St. Michael’s physician-scientist rewriting Canadian guidelines for HIV prevention medication
Darrell Tan (Photo: Kevin Van Paassen) 19 December 2025 By Christine Davidson This article was originally published on the Unity Health Toronto News website. Darrell Tan, infectious diseases physician at St. Michael’s Hospital and member of the Emerging & Pandemic...
U of T and Moderna partner to advance vaccine science, cancer treatment and AI-driven therapeutics
Postdoctoral researchers Rick Lu (left) and Natalie Edner (right). 18 December 2025 By Rahul Kalvapalle This article was originally published on the University of Toronto News website. From COVID-19 to the seasonal flu and RSV, vaccinations for respiratory viruses are...
SickKids-led study reveals promising gut-targeted therapy for C. difficile infections
Using the structure of C. diff's toxin B and its interactions with bile acids as a blueprint, the research team designed new synthetic bile acids that stay in the gut longer. This gut-restricted design helps the compounds work right where the toxin causes harm,...
