Pandemic Prevention

The Luby Lab aims to advance pandemic prevention by generating knowledge to reduce the risk of a global pandemic from Nipah virus, Coronavirus, and other emerging infections. 

Emerging Infections: Nipah Virus Research

The Luby Lab investigates the epidemiology, immunology, and prevention of Nipah virus, a paramyxovirus with pandemic potential that causes severe, often fatal human disease. Our work spans multiple complementary projects:

• Vaccine Development: In collaboration with laboratory scientists and Bangladeshi colleagues, we are developing protocols for trials of Nipah vaccine candidates, with Bangladesh poised to host future phase II trials.
• Survivor Cohorts: We follow Nipah virus survivors in Bangladesh to collect neurologic, functional, and immunologic data, building a resource of biospecimens and clinical information that informs assay development and supports vaccine evaluation.

Together, these efforts aim to generate critical knowledge about Nipah virus transmission, immune response, and long-term health impacts, while contributing to the development of effective vaccines and control strategies to reduce the risk of future pandemics.

Select Publications: 

Moore et al. 2024, Measures to prevent and treat Nipah virus disease: research priorities for 2024–29

Isalm et al. 2023, Nipah Virus Exposure in Domestic and Peridomestic Animals Living in Human Outbreak Sites, Bangladesh, 2013–2015

McKee et al. 2022, Nipah Virus Detection at Bat Roosts after Spillover Events, Bangladesh, 2012–2019

Nikolay et al. 2021, Assessing the feasibility of Nipah vaccine efficacy trials based on previous outbreaks in Bangladesh

McKee et al. 2020, The Ecology of Nipah Virus in Bangladesh: A Nexus of Land-Use Change and Opportunistic Feeding Behavior in Bats