Research Programs
University of Minnesota Institute on Infectious Diseases (UMIID) invests in efforts to:
- Grow key areas of research
- Sustain existing research strengths
- Leverage partnerships both internal and external to the University of Minnesota
The breadth of the University of Minnesota offers a unique environment for research focused on infectious disease through our internationally renowned faculty.
UMIID Research Programs
Antimicrobial Resistance and Drug Development
Program Goals
- Advance the understanding of how existing antimicrobials act and define the mechanisms of bacterial drug resistance and drug tolerance through basic experimental research
- Partner with clinicians and public health labs to expand the ability to monitor and identify emerging antibiotic resistance threats
Microbial Immunology
Program goals:
- Develop research expertise in pandemic-relevant microbial immunology while building on the University of Minnesota’s existing strengths in immunology
- Develop research programs that are able to quickly characterize immune responses to emerging pathogens, develop animal models of disease and perform mechanistic studies that define correlates of infection control and protection from reinfection. Contribute to vaccine development related research
Molecular Surveillance
Program Goals:
- Build a system for innovative and adaptive molecular surveillance that can develop new assays, rapidly sequence pathogens and respond to and communicate to public health officials and medical providers
- Enable the detection of emergent pathogens, prediction of spikes, and provide guidance for medical and pharmacological therapeutic interventions
Zoonotic Virus Infections
Program Goals:
- Deepen understanding of the impact of viruses on health and ecosystems through the research of virus-host interactions that span taxonomic and disciplinary boundaries
- Perform the innovative research needed to understand the mechanisms of viral emergence, prediction of new emerging viruses, and development of countermeasures for zoonotic threats
HIV Medicine
Program Goals:
- Support and sustain the existing strengths of the University of Minnesota in HIV research, which has focused predominately on HIV pathogenesis with more recent research investigating cures for HIV
- Support the current network of HIV researchers in the Medical School, the College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Pharmacy, and the School of Public Health
