UCL GRAND CHALLENGE OF
GLOBAL HEALTH
Global perspectives of modelling the impact of climate, culture,
infrastructure and whole genome on airborne transmission of new and
emerging viral diseases
Dr. Ka man Lai
Prof. Judith Breuer
Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering
UCL Division of Infection & Immunity
The spread of airborne viral infections is
influenced by physical and social environments
as well as intrinsic properties of the pathogen.
By understanding the complexity and
connectivity of these factors, we can develop
comprehensive predictive models.
Aims and objectives
•Develop a global network and laboratory
capacity for aerovirology research
Outputs and impacts
•Aerosolise VZV and seasonal flu in a climate
controlled chamber
•Completed a consultancy project in testing air
cleaning units
Cross disciplinary
•Establishing laboratory capacity for
aerovirology research
Aerosolisation of flu viruses in the chamber
This grant provides an opportunity for virology
and engineering research collaboration.
Chamber:
43.2 m3
(4 x 4 x 2.7 m)
Class II Safety
cabinet
Activities
Project completed in 2011
Air sampling
Aerosolised virus
Anteroom
Laboratory facilities for aerovirology research
Dr. Ka man Lai - k.lai@ucl.ac.uk
Prof Judith Breuer - j.breuer@ucl.ac.uk
•A paper on connectivity between social, cultural
and economic factors and the associations
between housing environments in slum
conditions and TB transmission was published
in the Journal of Environmental Planning and
Management
Conclusions
•VZV and flu aerosols have a lower survival
ability compared to reference bacteria like
Serratia marcescens
•Flu aerosols are sensitive to high RH
•RNA detection can be misleading in
estimating the culturable concentration of viral
aerosols
•The impact of infrastructure in London on
airborne diseases transmission is being
investigated by the researchers alongside the
Healthy Infrastructure Research Group at the
engineering department. The project is funded
by EPSRC.