Dr Vincent Munster

Dr Vincent Munster is Chief of the Virus Ecology Section at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Rocky Mountain Laboratories. He obtained a doctorate in virology from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 2006. During his doctoral studies, Dr Munster investigated the ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis of avian influenza viruses. From 2006 to 2009, he continued his training at the Erasmus Medical Center, where he worked with the Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis and Surveillance (CRIPS) on the pathogenicity and human-to-human transmission of influenza A viruses. 

In 2009, Dr Munster joined the Laboratory of Virology at NIAID as a visiting fellow to study the ecology of emerging viruses, including Ebola virus. In 2013, he established the Virus Ecology Unit as an independent tenure-track investigator. His laboratory focuses on understanding the ecology of emerging viruses and the drivers of zoonotic and cross-species transmission. The research combines field studies with experimental approaches, leveraging the high- and maximum-containment facilities at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories and conducting fieldwork in Africa (Republic of the Congo, Mali, Ghana, Liberia) and the Middle East (Jordan). 

Dr Munster has played an active role in responding to outbreaks of MERS-CoV, Ebola virus, and COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he contributed to the development of medical countermeasures and provided critical experimental data to inform public health decisions and interventions.