Project Grant R35GM165843

This Project Grant award of $393,673, obligated on July 16, 2026, and funded through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859), supports the development of a comprehensive, predictive framework for zoonotic disease emergence. The University of Georgia Research Foundation will conduct research spanning the full cascade from wildlife epizootics to human spillover and outbreak amplification. The project integrates large-scale host-virus networks, ecological and demographic data, and advanced statistical and machine learning approaches to identify ecological drivers of wildlife disease outbreaks, estimate hidden viral burdens across animal host taxa, and quantify spillover and amplification risk through a novel standardized epidemic potential parameter.

Deliverables include agent-based models, predictive risk maps, and early-warning tools validated against influenza and coronavirus datasets. The research addresses a critical gap in pandemic preparedness by explicitly linking animal health measures with human disease risk forecasts, moving beyond siloed, single-pathogen approaches to create an integrated One Health framework. The award extends through May 31, 2031, enabling the research team to generate actionable scientific products that improve forecasting accuracy and support more proactive pandemic prevention strategies.