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
U of T researchers discover ‘trojan horse’ virus hiding in human parasite
Undergraduate student Purav Gupta (left) and assistant professor Artem Babaian June 4, 2024 By Anika Hazra An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has found a new RNA virus that they believe is hitching a ride with a common human...
Research predicts worsening dengue spread in Mexico and Brazil
From left to right: Vinyas Harish, Kamran Khan and Isaac Bogoch May 29, 2024 By Gabrielle Giroday Both Brazil and Mexico may be affected by a much greater spread of dengue in the years to come, says a study by University of Toronto researchers.Vinyas Harish, an MD-PhD...
Nourishing young minds: Exploring the link between adolescent mental health and the gut microbiome with Susan Campisi
May 28, 2024 By Francesco Zangari Eating is a fundamental aspect of the human experience, transcending nutrition to encompass social, cultural, and psychological dimensions. Emerging at the intersection of nutrition and psychology, the emerging field of nutritional...
