Wales Applied Virology Unit
The Wales Applied Virology Unit (WAVU) aims to improve patient and public outcomes by integrating basic and translational virology with viral epidemiology and practice.
WAVU was launched on 1 April 2025 following the award of £3 million in funding from Health and Care Research Wales.
Aims
The Wales Applied Virology Unit (WAVU) seeks to reduce the burden of viral disease through the development and evaluation of intervention and control strategies.
It aims to meet the needs of tomorrow’s patients through the delivery of next-generation advanced therapeutics from enhanced vaccines to combat infectious disease and cancer, to engineered viral platforms for oncology and genome-editing applications.
This will be achieved through interdisciplinary expertise, comprising basic and translational virology, clinical trials, public health epidemiology, and implementation science, to generate solutions in the field of viral disease, leading to more efficient research and improved care for patients and the public.
Research
WAVU’s research is focused on three core areas:
Basic virology
- Understanding which immune responses need to be stimulated to make effective antiviral vaccines and immunotherapies
- Discovering novel targets for antiviral immunotherapeutics
- Working out which immunological parameters define viral control, so treatments can be targeted at patients appropriately
Translational virology
- Basic virology to inform the generation next generation advanced therapeutics
- Developing new virus-based therapeutics to treat diseases of unmet clinical need
- Partnering to deliver first in human clinical trials e.g. ATTEST trial
Viral epidemiology and practice
- Studying incidence and risk factors
- Understanding patient experience and public perceptions
- Developing and evaluating interventions to optimise outcomes
- Innovative study designs to answer questions about efficacy, clinical, and cost-effectiveness
People and community links:
Professor Alan Parker Director of the Wales Applied Virology Unit