We study emerging and reemerging infectious diseases that pose local or global health threats. Much of our work occurs in the maximum containment laboratory (BSL-4) at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, which permits safe study of the most dangerous viruses. All of our work is focused on developing vaccines or drugs to mitigate the impact of these viruses by:
- Performing studies to understand the basic biology of these viruses to identify new targets for drugs or vaccines.
- To perform early-stage testing of novel vaccines and therapies.
- Our Nonclinical Studies Unit performs late-stage testing of novel vaccines and therapies, particularly when efficacy testing in human populations is unfeasible or unethical.
We have a major focus on filoviruses — like Ebola virus and Marburg virus. However, we also investigate many of the other viruses that require maximum containment to handle viruses including: Nipah virus and Lassa virus.
Our expertise working with viruses that have the potential to cause pandemics allowed us to respond rapidly to the COVID-19 pandemic, which now occupies a significant part of our research interests.
We encourage candidates from around the world to apply to work with our innovative and collaborative team. Griffiths lab is a great place to work! Our lab encourages and welcomes respectful and challenging discussions about science. Furthermore, we aim to help advance individuals’ professional skills and career goals.