Chris Illingworth

Dr. Chris Illingworth is a Senior Lecturer in Virology at the University of Glasgow, with extensive research in viral evolution, genomic epidemiology, and infectious disease transmission. His work combines computational approaches with virological insights to understand how viruses evolve and spread, particularly focusing on SARS-CoV-2 and influenza.

Dr. Illingworth's research interests span viral evolution, genomic epidemiology, computational biology, and infectious disease transmission dynamics. His work examines how viruses adapt within hosts and populations, with particular emphasis on SARS-CoV-2 evolution during chronic infections, transmission bottlenecks, and the effects of antiviral treatments on viral populations. He develops computational tools like A2B-COVID for analyzing transmission events and has made significant contributions to understanding viral mutation processes and their implications for public health interventions.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on SARS-CoV-2 research, particularly examining viral evolution, transmission dynamics, and genomic epidemiology. The work shows a consistent pattern of applying computational and mathematical approaches to virological questions, with increasing emphasis on practical applications for infection prevention and control in healthcare settings. His research bridges theoretical evolutionary biology with real-world public health challenges.

Dr. Illingworth has secured multiple research grants including

• Economic analysis of real-time viral genomics as a tool for infection prevention and control from the Healthcare Infection Society (2024-2027)
• CVR Preparedness compute capacity from the Medical Research Council (2023-2024)
• Developing interventions to reduce 'missingness' in health care from the UK Health Security Agency (2022-2023)