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
Mango Device Offers Sweet Solution to Biomanufacturing Challenges
PhD trainee Pouriya Bayat prepares Mango for diagnostic test. October 28, 2025 By Eileen Hoftyzer This story was originally published on the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy's website. The portable device, developed by the Pardee lab, allows decentralized diagnostics...
Building trust, capacity and collaboration: vaccine leaders call for action at 2025 EPIC symposium
From left: Shelly Bolotin, Maxwell Smith, Trina Racine, Natasha Crowcroft and Scott Gray-Owen 24 October 2025 By Betty Zou Vaccines took centre stage at the third annual Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium symposium held on October 16, 2025. Hosted in...
Scientists identify first virus to infect Legionella, revealing evolutionary origins of Legionnaire’s disease
From left: Elizabeth Chaney, Alexander Ensminger, Beth Nicholson and José Santé September 23, 2025 By Betty Zou University of Toronto researchers have made the first discovery of a virus that infects Legionella pneumophila, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’...
