NSF PRFB FY 2023: Understanding the ecological drivers and genomic mechanisms of wildlife viral emergence caused by deforestation in Cambodia

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2023, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment, and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Wildlife viruses are a major global health concern as most microbes known to infect humans have origins in animals. Interfaces where humans and wildlife meet such as markets and deforestation areas are hotspots for viral emergence and spillover. These activities are often concentrated in countries with immense biodiversity and thus viral diversity, yet economic pressures to encroach upon natural spaces is also increasing at a rapid pace. Preventing the next global pandemic will require a One Health approach that considers the inherent connections between human, animal, and environmental health. Beyond advancing scientific research and technological advancements, improving pandemic preparedness will also require greater public education and awareness of One Health, active engagement with stakeholders and policymakers, and a renewed urgency for wildlife and environmental conservation. This research aims to study how deforestation in Cambodia affects wildlife viral diversity and evolution. Using hybridization capture based metagenomic methods, this project will detect known and uncover novel viruses from rodent, mosquito, and environmental samples. The viral genomic sequences generated will be used along with climate and environmental data to characterize zoonotic potential for spillover risk modeling. In addition to hands-on research training in cutting-edge molecular, bioinformatic, and modelling methods for viral discovery, surveillance, and risk assessment, the fellow will also develop translatable skills within public science communication, applied conservation, and public health while enmeshed in multiple international non-profit and academic environments including the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the University of Calgary, the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, and Institut Pasteur du Cambodge (IPC). The fellow will also collaborate with the WCS Education Department to create online science and conservation education modules focused on genomic-based wildlife disease surveillance and its role in One Health, which will be implemented through local outreach efforts with WCS Cambodia and the IPC Virology Unit in Cambodia. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.