We study how pathogens evolve and spread, and translate those insights into public‑health impact. We integrate evolutionary theory, genomics, phylogenetics, computational biology, and epidemiology - particularly for HIV, HCV, SARS-CoV-2, influenza, Lassa virus and other emerging viruses—led by Dr. Jeffrey B. Joy.
Themes at the intersection of evolution, genomics, and public health. We use and develop evolutionary genetic methods to study and understand evolutionary processes in the context of molecular epidemiology, pathogen evolution, and macroevolution. Our laboratory integrates evolutionary theory and computational methods with genomic, clinical and socio-demographic attribute data to make inferences relevant to public health and clinical practice, as well as for the fields of evolutionary biology and molecular epidemiology more generally.
Understanding the emergence of novel pathogens (e.g., SARS‑CoV‑2, Lassa, H5N1), host jumps, and determinants of spillover risk.
Quantifying epidemic spread in HIV, HCV, influenza and others using phylodynamics and linked clinical data.
Developing tools to prioritize public‑health action in near‑real time using sequence‑based surveillance, especially for HIV.
Dynamics, drivers, and consequences of within‑host variation and treatment response. Including dynamics and evolution of HIV cellular reservoirs.
Evaluating impacts of interventions (e.g., PrEP, TasP, travel policies) on transmission and feedback for programmatic improvements.
Novel algorithms for analyzing sequence data and epidemic dynamics at scale, typically through use or integration of genomic sequence data.
We are a collaborative team of researchers based at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada.
Principal Investigator • Assistant Professor (UBC) • Senior Research Scientist (BC-CfE)
Interests: virus evolution, phylodynamics, sequence-based surveillance, public-health translation, emerging viruses.
Bioinformatician
Interests: virus evolution, phylodynamics, sequence-based surveillance, interactive application development for public health.
Graduate Student
Interests: application of machine learning to HIV public health, prediction of viral spillover, transgender health.
Graduate Student
Interests: pathogen transmission, bacterial pathogens, salmon pathogens.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Interests: RNA viruses, svRNA, pathogen evolution, transcriptomics, microbiome, virus evolution, and bioinformatics.
Undergraduate Student
Interests: virus evolution, diversification, phylodynamics, sequence-based surveillance, Lassa virus.
Undergraduate Student
Interests: phylodynamics, virus evolution, transmission dynamics, genome editing.
Selected recent work. For a complete list, see Google Scholar.
I welcome inquiries from prospective MSc and PhD students who have secured, or are in the process of applying for, external fellowship support (e.g., CIHR, NIH, NSERC, or comparable funding).
I am open to discussions with prospective postdocs who hold fellowship funding (e.g., CIHR or NSERC PDF awards) or are actively developing proposals through national or international agencies (e.g., NIH, NSF, EU Horizon, or equivalent).
If these criteria apply to you, please email a CV and a brief cover letter outlining your research interests and career goals.
We lead, develop, and run the BC-CfE Canadian National HIV Phylogenetic Monitoring Initiative - a program to understand and assist with responding to HIV transmission in Canada.
We are actively interested in collaborative research with colleagues in Canada and internationally. We welcome opportunities that align with our themes, molecular epidemiology, evolutionary genetics, and public health, including joint analyses, co-supervision of trainees, and development of new methods and datasets.
Collaborations include the Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network (CoVaRR-Net), the UBC PrePARE pandemic preparedness research cluster, and the Pan-Canadian H5N1 network, among others.
We routinely contribute to the International Dynamics and Evolution of Human Viruses Conference and will be hosting the 33rd meeting in 2026 at the UBC Okanagan Campus. 33rd International Dynamics and Evolution of Human Viruses Conference
Highlights from conferences, workshops, media, and invited talks.
Our team is excited to launch a new Genome BC funded project using genomics, phylogenetics, and machine learning to better understand changing HIV transmission patterns in British Columbia. Read the World AIDS Day announcement here.
Genome BC News ReleaseWe are co-organizing the 33rd DEHV conference on the UBC Okanagan campus in Kelowna, BC, May 19th-22nd, 2026.
33rd International Dynamics and Evolution of Human Viruses ConferenceCanadian summit to address rising HIV incidence, and raise the alarm about the threat that US cuts to HIV programs pose.
BC-CfE 2025 Treatment as Prevention (TasP) SummitProgram, abstracts, and details can be found at the below link.
31st International Dynamics and Evolution of Human Viruses ConferenceFunding and support for our work is provided by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), Genome British Columbia (Genome BC), the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the National Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Former graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research associates.
MSc & PhD
PhD
MSc
Research Associate
Our laboratory is part of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and within the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, at the University of British Columbia (UBC). We are further affiliated with the UBC Bioinformatics Program and the UBC Genome Sciences and Technology Program.
