Daniel Streicker
What vaccinating vampire bats can teach us about pandemics
TEDMED Talks are available, free to the world, thanks to our partners.
About Daniel Streicker
Daniel Streicker uses ecology and evolution to reveal, anticipate and prevent infectious disease transmission between species. His research uses a range of approaches including longitudinal field studies in wild bats, phylodynamics, machine learning, metagenomics, and epidemiological modeling. In Peru, Daniel uses bat and virus genetics to connect bats’ movements with the spread of rabies virus. With this technique, he and his team are able to forecast outbreaks before they begin, providing valuable lead times for governments to take preventative actions, such as vaccinating humans and livestock ahead of outbreaks. Daniel is a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow and head of the Streicker Group at the University of Glasgow Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine and the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.
Find out moreAbout This Talk
From genomics to edible gel and uv powder, Daniel Streiker’s research uses a range of approaches connecting bats’ movements with the spread of the rabies virus. Expanding on what he has learned, Streiker says, "I think we are not too far from a future where we’re going to have genomics to forecast outbreaks and we’re going to have clever new technologies like edible self-spreading vaccines that can get rid of these viruses at their source before they have a chance to jump into people".
Watch Daniel’s 2018 TEDMED Talk,"What vaccinating vampire bats can teach us about pandemics" to learn how we may be able to forecast a disease outbreak and anticipate it, preventing the next pandemic from happening.