Meet the team
A Wellcome Trust/Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellow. Loves all things virology. Fascinated how arboviruses adapt to the different environmental challenges of replicating in a mammal or arthropod system and how they get between the two. Outside the lab, I love cook and walk the dog in the beautiful Scottish countryside.
Born, raised, and graduated on Berber land, I continued my education with a PhD in France. I joined the Brennan lab to work on tick-borne viruses and how/why they interact with, well, ticks. I am very enthusiastic about arboviruses, full Scottish breakfasts, and scuba diving.
![20 - 042 CVR Alexandra Wilson 01[1722].J](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c99ba5_28ef3248e90340568b300c57ada098fe~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_5,y_261,w_1459,h_1439/fill/w_292,h_288,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/20%20-%20042%20CVR%20Alexandra%20Wilson%2001%5B1722%5D_J.jpg)
Graduated with an MBiochem from Oxford University in 2019 before moving to Scotland to carry out my PhD (despite never even visiting Scotland before that). I’m excited to start my journey as a virologist and to study viruses (novel and known) capable of greatly impacting the world around us, particularly those capable of jumping between species. When I’m not working, I enjoy hiking, cross-stitching or attempting to learn to salsa.
After graduating from my home university (Queen’s University Belfast), I moved to Glasgow in 2018 to pursue my love of virology with an MSc in Infection Biology. Following my enthusiasm for arboviruses, I joined The Pirbright Institute to work on the control of mosquito vectors of arboviruses via genetic modification. I’m delighted to join the Brennan Lab for my first PhD rotation project to study tick-borne viruses. I love a good Guinness, coffee and photography.
Intrigued by how viruses impact their host, I have focussed my career on understanding interactions between viruses and their hosts/vectors.
Arboviruses have been my best companion through my journey from Institut Pasteur, Paris (Drosophila melanogaster piRNAs are not antiviral) to the University of California, Davis (Interaction between human transcription machinery and Dengue 2 virus NS5 protein). My Marie-Curie fellowship is the chance to continue exploring arboviruses biology focusing on tick-bunyavirus interactions.
Outside of the lab I play cello, love to sew and cook good meal for my friends.
Alumni
Visiting Researchers
Frederic Gusmag
Yuji Wada
Mareike Kubinski
PhD Students
Veronica Rezelj (former Elliott Lab student)
Stephanie Cumberworth (second supervisor)
Lab life
Documenting the lab's adventures...
Our Research
Based at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research.
The Brennan Lab uses virological methods such as reverse genetics technologies and acarology to probe how clinically relevant pathogens are transmitted by ticks. We seek to understand how these viruses manipulate the different cellular environments in a tick or a mammal to sustain virus replication and cause disease.
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Our research focuses on a specific group of emerging viruses found within the genus Phenuiviridae of the Bunyavirales order.
Ongoing Projects
Examining the interaction of tick-transmitted viruses with their arthropod vector
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Studying the molecular biology of tick-borne viruses in different systems
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Analysing the innate immune factors of the tick that control virus replication
Developing tools and techniques to study the replication of tick-borne viruses in vivo
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Establishing infection models and studies in live ticks at containment level 2 (CL2) and containment level 3 (CL3)
Investigating the roles of the viral proteins during infection of both mammalian and arthropod cells
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Answering how/why viruses can infect ticks without causing disease
Developing attenuated viruses for use as potential live-attenuated vaccines or vector control agents
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In collaboration with other CVR members we seek to generate new live-attenuated vaccine candidates for these emerging viruses
Exploring the molecular determinants of virus tropism
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Finding out why these viruses are transmitted by ticks rather than other arthropods such as mosquitoes
We are also involved in various public engagement and out reach projects
involved in promoting tick-borne virus awareness in Scotland.
Our Collaborators
We collaborate with multiple laboratories across the globe to produce world class science
Grants & Awards
Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.
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MRC Public Engagement Seed Fund
What makes viruses tick?
Medical Research Council
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Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Research Fellowships: Leadership Fellow Funding
University of Glasgow
2020-2023
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What makes phleboviruses tick? Examining the molecular interactions of tick-borne phleboviruses with their arthropod vector
Wellcome Trust
2018 - 2024
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Vaccines and molecular tools for the control of the emerging bunyavirus, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
2018 - 2021
In the media
CVR arbovirus programme featured on BBC Scotland
ITV News report on how the CVR is tackling the coronavirus
Brennan Lab on STV promoting our public engagement project to Scottish audiences
Highlighted publications
Who funds us
We would like to thank the following funding agencies for funding our work directly or in collaboration with other laboratories. Funders past and present are listed below:
