Immune Immune Booster 19: Virus-immune Tug-of-war with Kristian Andersen
Nov 11, 2025
Kristian Andersen, a professor at Scripps Research Institute, specializes in viral evolution and immunology, with a focus on high-profile viruses like Ebola and SARS-CoV-2. He discusses how the immune system influences virus adaptation and the emergence of variants like Omicron. Andersen also emphasizes the connection between urbanization and increased spillover risks, advocating for better pandemic preparedness through surveillance and regulation. He underscores the importance of vaccines in broadening immunity and reducing disease severity, while sharing personal insights on creativity and outdoor hobbies.
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From Immunology To Viral Genomics
- Kristian Andersen shifted from immunology to viral genomics by pursuing data-driven questions during his postdoc at Pardis Sabeti's lab.
- That transition led him to study virus evolution across Lassa, Ebola and later SARS-CoV-2 using genomic surveillance.
Genomics Reveals Outbreak Origins
- Viral genomes sampled over time form phylogenies that let researchers date introductions by fitting molecular clocks.
- Andersen used this to show the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak traced to a single December 2013 introduction rather than repeated market spillovers.
Immunity Changes Viral Evolutionary Goals
- Population immunity shifts viral selection from optimizing transmission to escaping immune barriers.
- Early SARS-CoV-2 evolution increased transmissibility, later variants like Omicron prioritized immune escape.