CoVaRR-Net’s mandate has been to coordinate, facilitate, support and accelerate rapid response research on COVID-19 variants throughout Canada. However, many of our experts are also pivoting to lend their expertise to other pathogens, such as avian influenza A(H5N1), commonly known as bird flu.

Among those CoVaRR-Net members pivoting to research on H5N1 are these seven groups who recently were awarded funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), in collaboration with other federal and provincial partners, for research projects that will help Canada prevent, prepare for, recover from, and respond to outbreaks of H5N1.

(Note that some of these projects include other researchers – we’ve highlighted those from CoVaRR-Net).

Congratulations to the following CoVaRR-Net members:

Mariana Baz, CCABL3 (Canadian Consortium of Academic Biosafety Level 3 Laboratories) Member, PI
Is treatment with a combination of licensed influenza antivirals superior to monotherapy for highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus from cattle?

Robert Delatolla, Wastewater Surveillance Research Group Director & Pillar 5 (Viral Genomics & Sequencing) Deputy, PI
Evaluation, Optimization and Harmonization of Methods and Strategies for a One Health, Pan-Canadian Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance System Positioned at the Wild Bird – Farm Animal – Human Interface

François Jean, Pillar 10 (Antiviral Strategies and Antiviral Therapeutics) Lead, PI
Catalyzing One Health Research on Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza A (HPAI H5N1) Viruses: An integrated transdisciplinary approach using translational genomics, AI-driven modeling, and phenotypic profiling

Rees Kassen, CUBE (Coronavirus in the Urban Built Environment) Lead, PI
Michael Fralick, Laura Hug, Derek MacFadden, Caroline Nott & Alex Wong, CUBE Co-Leads, PIs
Anne-Claude Gingras, Pillar 4 (Functional Genomics & Structure-Function of VOCs) Lead, Co-Investigator
Avian influenza suRveillance in Companion animal and Human healthcare settings [ARCH]

Marc-André Langlois, CoVaRR-Net Executive Director, PI
Fiona Brinkman, Computational Analysis, Modelling and Evolutionary Outcomes (CAMEO) Deputy, Co-investigator
Curtis Cooper, CoVaRR-Net Biobank Clinical Associate Director, Co-Investigator
Molecular and Antibody Surveillance of H5N1 in Animals and Humans using a High Throughput Diagnostic Platform

Samira Mubareka, Pillar 3 (Virology) Deputy, PI
Strengthening a One Health approach for highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses; Advancing a biological trajectory for viral risk assessment
And as Co-Investigator: Engaging communities at high risk of H5N1: a survey to inform surveillance and outbreak response
And as Co-Investigator: H5N1 Exposure and Immunity in Canadian Hutterites: A Key Sentinel Population

Caroline Quach-Thanh, Pillar 5 (Viral Genomics & Sequencing) Deputy
Mariana Baz Etchebarne, Co-Investigator

Establishing a One Health sentinel cohort for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.