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
People with HIV are aging. A UHN clinic is helping them thrive in their senior years
Billy Newton-Davis, a Toronto recording artist, was diagnosed with HIV in 1986. Nearly four decades later, he's still performing, recording — and aging well — with care from UHN's HIV and Immunodeficiency Clinic. (Photography by UHN) 07 July 2026 By UHN...
On-site rapid testing leads to decrease in emergency department visits among long term care residents
The PROMPT-LTC trial found that providing rapid on-site testing for respiratory viruses in long-term care homes enabled earlier detection and treatment, reducing transfers to hospital emergency departments among residents. This work reflects EPIC's focus on advancing...
“Teaching found me”: Reflecting on over 40 years of teaching, mentorship and research with virologist Martha Brown
Professor Martha Brown delivered her final lecture for her virology laboratory course in March 2026. (Photo: Michelle French) 26 June 2026 By Aideen Teeling Known best for spearheading multiple upper year undergraduate courses in microbiology, Martha Brown has...
