As an early-career scientist working in the fields of virology, disease ecology and One Health, participating in the Hong Kong Laureate Forum will be an excellent opportunity for me to meet, network and learn from other brilliant young and senior scientists in the fields of Life Sciences, Medicine and Mathematics. I am especially interested in forming bonds with young scientists based in Asia and learning about their work, as well as contributing to discussions about the role and impact of science in modern society, and about our experiences as young scientists from around the world. I am also extremely interested in learning about the excellent work of the invited Shaw Prize laureates and to hear about their life experience and professional career path in the sciences. I am convinced that participating in the Forum will be an enriching and inspiring experience for my development as a scientist. With my diverse background having studied Biology in Venezuela, completed my DPhil at the University of Oxford (UK) and now working as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the interdisciplinary field of One Health at the Natural History Museum in London, I hope that I will be able to contribute valuable perspectives to the discussions.

Despite their importance to human and animal health, our knowledge of the biodiversity and disease ecology of viruses is still being developed. Most emerging viral infections that affect humans originate in wild animals, but current estimates suggest we have described less than 2% of all mammalian viruses. Unknown viruses that cross the species barrier from wild animals into humans may pose significant threats, illustrated most recently from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Our research aims to use metagenomic data to study viral communities sampled at the interface between wild animals and humans in West Africa (where Ebola, Marburg, Lassa and Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic fever viruses are present). We aim to analyse this data using an ecological modelling framework, which will provide insights into the ecological processes behind virus transmissions and will hopefully aid in outbreak and pandemic prevention.