Oliver Pybus

Oliver Pybus is a Professor of Evolution & Infectious Disease at the Department of Biology, University of Oxford, and a Professorial Fellow of New College, Oxford. He co-directs the Oxford Martin Programme on Pandemic Genomics and serves as Chief Editor of Virus Evolution. His work integrates evolutionary biology, computational methods, and public health to study pathogen dynamics.

• Education: DPhil in Evolutionary Biology, University of Oxford
• Additional Affiliation: Professorship at the Royal Veterinary College
• Leadership: Co-Director of Oxford Martin Programme on Pandemic Genomics

His research focuses on phylodynamics—the interplay of ecological and evolutionary processes in rapidly evolving pathogens like SARS-CoV-2. Key areas include genomic surveillance, outbreak modeling, and computational techniques for tracking viral transmission. He applies these to vaccine design, drug resistance, and epidemic response strategies.

Scientific contributions include groundbreaking work on SARS-CoV-2 dispersal patterns, viral evolution, and pandemic interventions. Awards include Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

• Advising: Mentors graduate students like Joseph Tsui
• Collaborations: Works with Prof Christophe Fraser on pandemic technology
• Current Projects: Develops genomic and AI tools for epidemic control

Labs/Teams: Leads a research group at Oxford and collaborates with the Royal Veterinary College and Natural History Museum London.