Professor Tom Solomon appointed Director of The Pandemic Institute

Professor Tom Solomon CBE, Chair of Neurology at the University of Liverpool and Director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections has been appointed Director of The Pandemic Institute, as it puts out its first research funding call on monkeypox.

Professor Solomon will replace Professor Matthew Baylis who has served as Interim Director of The Pandemic Institute since June 2021 ahead of the official launch in September 2021.

About his appointment, Professor Tom Solomon said: “I am delighted to take on this new role as Director of The Pandemic Institute, following the brilliant job done by Matthew Baylis. The post provides a fantastic opportunity to strengthen links between Liverpool’s academic institutions, and the people of the city and city region. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how together we can produce world-leading research with local, national and international impact. Although some of the immediate threats of this pandemic have subsided, it is by no means over, and we need to take this opportunity to develop resilience. We also need to build on what we have learnt during the pandemic to create the tools needed to help us resist future emerging infection threats. We are currently dealing with an unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox in the UK and beyond, and The Pandemic Institute’s first funding call, which we are launching today is for research that addresses this new challenge.”

The Pandemic Institute’s first funding call will support research into monkeypox, a viral infection usually found in West and Central Africa. An increasing number of cases have been identified in the UK, and it is due to this unusual outbreak that the Institute’s first funding call will focus on research into this challenge.

The Pandemic Institute’s mission is to accelerate the response to emerging infection threats, unify global intelligence and increase the reach and impact of research in this area. Through its founding partners, the Institute has an impressive breadth of world-leading clinical, academic, public health and data-driven expertise. The combined networks of partners and hubs located across the world provides a unique opportunity for The Pandemic Institute to maximise its global reach.