Recent and ongoing research and outreach by Dr. Derek Cummings and students and postdoctoral researchers in the Cummings lab are having an impact on the COVID-19 at both local and international levels. Dr. Cummings is faculty in Biology and the Emerging Pathogens Institute. His previous work on coronaviruses, including the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002 and the emergence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012, positioned him to play a leading role in COVID-19 research. When data on COVID-19 cases in China were first released, Dr. Cummings and colleagues at Lancaster University developed an early transmission model, and he continues to play an important role in forecasting the outbreak. Dr. Cummings’ COVID-19 related work was featured in an Emerging Pathogens Institute news article.
Other members of the Cummings lab have also been involved in the COVID-19 response. In April, eight members of the Cummings lab, including PhD student and lead author Angkana Huang, submitted a systematic review on antibody mediated immunity to coronaviruses to medRxiv. Postdoctoral researchers in the Cummings lab are also pitching in: Dr. Matt Hitchings is using models to provide guidance to the Florida Department of Health on COVID-19 testing, and Dr. Luke Trimmer-Smith has been volunteering to administer COVID-19 tests.