Happy New Year and all that. Don’t wish to dampen the mood, but does anyone else find it mildly depressing that @theguardian.com feels the need to explain that Asia sees in the New Year head of Europe and the USA? What does it tell us about the Guardian’s view of its readership?

As 2025 draws to a close, The Pandemic Institute remains focused on one goal: working together to ensure we are better prepared for the pandemics of tomorrow. #pandemicpreparedness #globalhealth #healthresearch

Ollie is going to be a great addition to our journals team. Welcome aboard, Ollie!

This is a fantastic development! I have worked in Bengaluru since the early 2000s (when it was still Bangalore!) in partnership with the NIMHANS, India, NIMHANS, Bangalore; its a brilliant place to work - fantastic scientists, highly motivated teachers, and very dedicated healthcare workers.

I’ve been doing a bit of reflecting as the year winds down, on leadership, research, public health, and what feels most urgent going into next year: linkedin.com/pulse/leader... Do let me know if any of it resonates. And “Follow” me if you want to hear more.

Across leadership, research, and public health, progress often comes from connecting people, practice, and policy, rather than treating them as separate worlds. Here are my reflections from the last 12 months 👇🏽 www.linkedin.com/pulse/leader...

A year of real progress at The Pandemic Institute, thanks to the commitment of an outstanding community of partners and collaborators. We're looking forward to what 2026 brings. #pandemicpreparedness #healthresearch #globalhealth

“From Mouth-hole to Bum-hole” - a fabulous description of how we digest and process food during Dr Chris van Tulleken's wonderful talk on “ULTRA-PROCESSED KIDS” at @rcphysicians.bsky.social Christmas Lecture. Important insights on how ultra-processed foods are damaging our health. A brilliant event!

Early start yesterday - joined Peers to discuss @rcphysicians.bsky.social policy work on air quality, obesity, tobacco and wider health drivers. Left energised - real opportunity ahead to improve the nation’s health.

Infections remain a major challenge, especially for older adults. The CMO 2025 report drives home the need for strong vaccination uptake, smart antimicrobial use, and continued investment in research including @hpruezi.bsky.social Full report: gov.uk/government/p...

The @encephalitisint.bsky.social Conference 2025 showcased how far this community has come - from a back bedroom in ’95 to a global force shaping the @who.int Technical Brief. Standout insights, and a community hitting its stride. Congratulations to everyone for an exceptional couple of days.

‘Government must recognise the critical role of the NHS medical workforce in this. Recruitment as well as focus on retention and workforce wellbeing is key.’ 👉 Read our full response to the announcements affecting patients and clinicians made in the autumn financial statement: ow.ly/zEnf50XyxsS

Tomorrow we are looking forward to welcoming guests to the final 2025 #RCPUpdate in Cardiff. As you start to keep an eye out for events in 2026 – read all about the RCP regions, and why the local perspective is so important in #Commentary: ow.ly/iQEp50XANtj

If you’re looking for a strong Charity of the Year for 2026, @encephalitisint.bsky.social should be on your list. Their work in early recognition, family support, and life-saving research is essential and worth backing. Their fundraisers’ stories speak for themselves - youtu.be/b6_VzS9KJus?...

Flu season has arrived early, but vaccine uptake remains low. New @ljmuofficial.bsky.social research shows mistrust, misinformation and access barriers are key drivers. Trust, community-led messaging and culturally relevant information matter. Read more: www.thepandemicinstitute.org/news/underst...

Representing the @acmedsci.bsky.social in Brussels this week, I joined the FEAM Annual Key Lecture 2025 to underline a key point: we only use 3% of the health data we collect. EHDS aims to fix that. The message was clear: better trust, better data, better care. #DataSavesLives

Looking forward to @encephalitisint.bsky.social next week. Day 1: presenting How to Get Your Grant or Fellowship. Day 2: chairing Session 3 and presenting the new EAN–ESCMID Guidelines on adult infectious encephalitis. Register: www.encephalitis.info/event/encephalitis-2025-registration/

We recently funded 'Mpox: What’s Your Story' which brings together @lstmnews.bsky.social, @wowfest.bsky.social, @sahirhouse.bsky.social & @lpoolcouncil.bsky.social Public Health to use community storytelling to raise Mpox awareness & tackle stigma: www.thepandemicinstitute.org/news/creativ...

Research built the NHS and without protected time, proper pathways, and real accountability, we risk dismantling the very engine that drives better care. www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-re... #NHS #AOMRC #ClinicalResearch #HealthResearch

A fantastic couple of days at the MRF conference. Strong global progress toward the WHO 2030 roadmap, powerful testimonies, and excellent research shared. Glad to present our work on improving rapid diagnosis now rolling out with @who.int Plenty still to do, but real momentum.

The Pandemic Institute’s Public Steering Group recently visited colleagues @lstmnews.bsky.social to explore ground-breaking organoid research; “mini-organs” that help scientists study infections and test new vaccines & medicines. Read more: www.thepandemicinstitute.org/news/public-...

Honoured to reflect on this year’s International Health Lecture. The lessons from HIV aren’t historical footnotes - they guide how we face today’s global health threats. Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim delivered insight and urgency in equal measure. I’ve shared my reflections on where we go next.

A pleasure to attend the @rcphysicians.bsky.social Med+ 2025 conference this week. Always valuable to connect with colleagues and reflect on the issues shaping our profession. Sessions are available to watch online until 10 Feb: rcpconferences.co.uk/med-plus-2025 #RCP #RoyalCollegeofPhysicians

Fantastic first day at @rcphysicians.bsky.social #MedPlus25 chairing the opening keynote with Dr Birju Bartoli on @northumbrianhs.bsky.social patient-first journey, and the closing plenary with Prof Kevin Fong on AI & robotics transforming medicine. Excited for day two!

Do you have a passion for medical publishing? Shape our membership magazine’s direction and develop thought-provoking articles as #Commentary clinical editor. Apply by 30 November: ow.ly/NR0m50Xmzn3 Read the latest edition: ow.ly/KA3g50Xmzn2

🗣️"Women should know that the existing evidence does not really support a link between paracetamol and autism and ADHD" Academy Fellow @thangaratinam.bsky.social on new review countering recent misinformation about paracetamol use in pregnancy. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Honoured to chair the @acmedsci.bsky.social 2025 International Health Lecture with Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim FRS on “Lessons from Africa: Health diplomacy in HIV prevention”, in partnership with @thelancet.com and a distinguished global panel. #ScienceDiplomacy #GlobalHealth #HIV

Had a fantastic time in Hong Kong teaching at the CHP Seminar on Pet-related & Emerging Zoonotic Infections, sharing insights on how animal-to-human infections affect health (including the brain) and how nations prepare for such threats. Thanks to CHP for the warm welcome! #PublicHealth #Zoonoses

Less than 1 week to go! ⌛️ Join Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim FRS for our International Health Lecture with The Lancet 🌎 🗓 Tues 4 Nov, 3:30pm GMT 📍 Online and in person There's still time to sign up! ⬇️ In person: https://bit.ly/49piXGE Online: https://bit.ly/3LjQhox

Proud to launch @thepandemicinst.bsky.social new partnership with top Hong Kong universities, supported by The Shaw Foundation’s £250K award funding 9 vital projects tackling global infectious disease threats. www.thepandemicinstitute.org/news/new-fun... #PandemicPreparedness

I’m pleased to be chairing the International Health Lecture 2025, hosted by the @acmedsci.bsky.social & @thelancet.com - “Lessons from Africa: Health diplomacy in HIV prevention.” Join us in London or online - free to attend. 🔗 acmedsci.ac.uk/more/events/... #GlobalHealth #HIV

🗣️ "Nobody's pretending this is easy, but if we lose this workforce it will be bad for UK research & bad for the nation's future health." Prof @rosalindsmyth.bsky.social CBE FMedSci interviewed by Research Professional News about the clinical academics statement launched this week. 🔗🔒 bit.ly/4mHdJJh

Excellent news from Malawi: building diagnostic capacity today helps detect tomorrow’s threats before they become crises. Proud that TPI supported this partnership with Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme and PHIM. #PandemicPreparedness #GlobalHealth

🙌 The European Commission has today announced #Liverpool is one of three finalists of the 2026 European Capital of Innovation Awards. If successful, we'd be the first UK city to win.🤞 Read more: https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/liverpool-named-as-european-capital-of-innovation-finalist/

First evidence in the UK of breeding aegypti mosquito – the main spreader of dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Dr Marcus Blagrove writes for The Conversation highlighting the need for enhanced mosquito surveillance and proactive strategies to mitigate future risks. bit.ly/3KKlGQP #TeamLivUni

Did you know we have a Pre-Clinical Studies Unit? It offers clinically relevant models of infection and disease for testing new vaccine candidates, drugs and therapies. Find out more here: thepandemicinstitute.org/collaborate/...

Mosquito transmitted viruses are moving north as the climate warms. The research underway here in Liverpool aims to ensure the UK has the knowledge, infrastructure and countermeasures in place before local transmission occurs. #WestNileVirus

The two-day meeting showed the power of collaboration - from lab research to community engagement. Encouraging to see progress from TPI investigators working with partners including CSL Seqirus, Dstl, and @ukhsa.bsky.social Read more: thepandemicinstitute.org/news/the-pan...

Last week our CEO @smhopkins.bsky.social spoke at the @thepandemicinst.bsky.social about our mission to protect the UK against current and future health threats. She stressed that pandemic preparedness means acting now to prevent what we can, and being ready to respond swiftly when necessary.

As a young medical student in 1988, I saw first-hand the impact of Japanese encephalitis - a disease we could barely diagnose, let alone prevent. Honoured to write the foreword for this important new volume: 📖 link.springer.com/book/10.1007... #JapaneseEncephalitis #Encephalitis

I’m delighted to be chairing at @rcphysicians.bsky.social #MedPlus2025 this November! Join us in London or online for clinical updates across 20+ specialties, interactive sessions, and networking with healthcare colleagues. 👉 www.rcp.ac.uk/events-and-e... #RoyalCollegeofPhysicians

Two action-packed days at #TPI2025 brought together leaders from government, academia, health & industry to strengthen #PandemicPreparedness. A big thanks to all our attendees, speakers, sponsors and poster presenters!

Great first day of our Scientific Meeting, hearing from a range of our funded projects plus colleagues from @ukhsa.bsky.social, FIND, Dstl, @cepi.net and more #TPI2025

And always great to have the chance to catch up with old friends, such as Greater Manchester Mayor @andyburnham.bsky.social and Liverpool Metro Mayor @lcrmayor.bsky.social

It’s been great to be at @teamlabouruk.bsky.social Conference this week, representing the @rcphysicians.bsky.social in my role as Academic Vice President. A busy few days with events on social care, health innovation & air quality.

Final preparations for the Annual Scientific Meeting of the @thepandemicinst.bsky.social, Liverpool on "Partnership Working for Pandemic Preparedness", and what a wonderful array of partners we have joining us! Can't wait!

Dr Krishanthi Subramaniam recently shared her expertise on BBC Points of View, speaking about the recent programme 'Disease X: Hunting the Next Pandemic'. Watch from 7mins30: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

If you missed last night's episode of Ancient Autopsy, you can stream it for FREE here: channel4.com/programmes/a...

If you tune in to Ancient Autopsy on More 4 at 9pm tonight, you may just spot a familiar face! How did Alexander The Great really die? www.channel4.com/programmes/a... #ancientautopsy #channel4 #infectiousdiseases Photo credit: Yeti Television @sixteenthcgirl.bsky.social

I was delighted to take part in this interview, reflecting on a unique transatlantic partnership between the UK @acmedsci.bsky.social and the US @nam.edu Read the full interview and report here: nam.edu/news-and-insights/future-of-sustainable-health-research/