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
Study reveals how the gut builds long-lasting immunity after viral infections
Professor Jen Gommerman (left) and postdoctoral fellow Kei Haniuda 18 November 2025 By Betty Zou A new study led by University of Toronto researchers has shown that immune cells in the gut follow an atypical pathway to produce antibodies that provide long-term...
Mpox online image atlas launches to help reduce stigma, improve representation and enhance access to care
From left: Darrell Tan, Sharon Sukhdeo, and Garfield Durrant 11 November 2025 By Betty Zou A team of clinicians at Unity Health Toronto and the University of Toronto has created a new resource to help health care providers detect mpox earlier and to help patients get...
Study discovers Salmonella cell-to-cell transmission is regulated by a cellular protein linked to early onset Parkinson’s disease
Anna Waldmann and John Brumell 10 November 2025 By Aideen Teeling Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have discovered that a host protein linked to early onset Parkinson’s disease promotes the spread of Salmonella bacteria between cells. Upon...
