Skip to main content
 

We are using pathogen genomics to investigate how viruses, including arenaviruses, filoviruses, coronaviruses, orthopoxviruses, and arboviruses emerge, evolve, and cause large-scale outbreaks. Using a combination of computational biology, experimentation, and 'field' work, we aim to transform outbreak response and change the way we develop and apply effective countermeasures.

Andersen Lab at Scripps Research

At the Andersen Lab at Scripps Research we try to understand questions such as: how do viruses emerge, spread, evolve, and go from causing small-scale outbreaks to large-scale epidemics? How can we diagnose them better and discover novel ones? How do they develop resistance to countermeasures and what molecular and immunological factors govern the underlying mechanisms? Critically, by addressing these questions, can we develop new and effective vaccines and medicines, while informing outbreak responses? The research in our laboratory is aimed at tackling these questions using an integrated approach of computation, experimentation, genomics, and large-scale data analysis. We also more broadly employ quantitative approaches across scientific disciplines, ranging from microbiology to human immunology and genetics.

The Andersen Laboratory was established at Scripps Research in the summer of 2015 in beautiful La Jolla, California. We are strong proponents of open data and open science, and we are big believers in collaborating across scientific disciplines. To this end, we are actively engaged in several of our research initiatives, including the Global Health Initiative at Scripps Research, the Center for Viral Systems Biology, the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Consortium, the West African Research Network for Infectious Diseases, and the WestNile 4K Project.

Ready to learn more about the lab? Check out the people working here, our research, publications, and data.

COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 Resources

To gain insights into the emergence, spread, transmission, and evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working with a large number of public health agencies, hospitals, biotechs, and academic partners. With funding from the CDC and NIH, we are sequencing hundreds of samples a week and all the data are made publicly available.

In response to the emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2, we have made several visualization tools to make the genomic data more useful to the public, scientists, and outbreak responders.

People

Kristian

Boss Man

Andrew

Also Boss

Michelle

Cat Herder

Refugio

Cat Herder

Michelle

Cat Herder

Emily

Guru

Mark

Senior Genius

Edyth

Senior Genius

Josh

Senior Genius

Jyothi

Senior Genius

Holly

Senior Genius

Brady

Senior Genius

Chrissy

Junior Genius

Praneeth

Junior Genius

Emory

Mini Genius

Dylan

Mini Genius

Alison

Mini Genius

Alana

Mini Genius

Camille

Mini Genius

Allison

Mini Genius

Kelly

Mini Genius

Christina

Mini Genius

Karthik

Incoming Genius

Raphaëlle

Lonely Genius

Gytis

Lonely Genius

Noodle

Supreme Commander

Not Noodle

Cat

Our Initiatives

Main Partners

News

Andersen Lab 2022
Other

Discrimination in science

Recently one of our colleagues made comments at a scientific meeting about male scientists being the subject of discrimination. In a follow up interview, he suggested that discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion in science were not welcome or appropriate topics for scientific meetings. While we respect each individual’s right to their own views, we do not believe that either of these…
Wastewater surveillance project
Press Releases

Gates support for wastewater surveillance

Wastewater surveillance is a cost-effective, convenient tool for tracking harmful pathogens circulating through the population, but technology and infrastructure hurdles have limited its widespread use. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded Scripps Research a $1.5 million grant to overcome these barriers, expand wastewater surveillance tracking, and help mitigate infectious disease threats around the globe. The two-year award, which…
News

International collaboration strengthens global disease surveillance

Increasingly researchers have used wastewater surveillance as an effective tool to find out what viruses and which strains of viruses—for example, SARS-CoV-2 variants—are circulating within a community. Providing real-time insights into which diseases might be on the rise helps public health officials to detect and contain outbreaks before they become global pandemics. In late Spring 2023, Scripps Research postdoctoral associates…