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
Newly identified bacterial defence systems open avenues for treating drug resistant infections
Landon Getz (left) and Sam Fairburn February 25, 2025 By Sunitha Chari University of Toronto researchers have discovered nine new genes used by bacteria to protect themselves against viral infections. Their findings uncover a new hotspot in the bacterial genome for...
Highlighting diverse perspectives this International Day of Women and Girls in Science
February 11, 2025 By Sunitha Chari To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the University of Toronto’s Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC) is sharing the stories and aspirations of four young and upcoming researchers from the EPIC...
EPIC launches Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Rapid Research Response to inform and support comprehensive influenza pandemic preparedness
(Left to right): Michael Norris, Samira Mubareka, Sharon Walmsley, Vanessa Allen and Beate Sander January 30, 2025 By Sunitha Chari The University of Toronto’s Emerging & Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC) has launched a Rapid Research Response to address the...
