Varsani Lab - the viral kind
We are a wild 'viral' molecular virology research group that works across ecosystems studying viral dynamics.
Our broader objectives are to
- Study viral dynamics in Ross Sea (Antarctica) ecosystem which is recognised as anthropogenically the least-altered marine system on the planet with no evidence indicating introduction or range expansion of any species thus far, despite its changing physical environment.
- Unravel the viral evolutionary dynamics as a consequence of climate change.
- Study viral ecological interaction networks within a microbiome to unravel the dynamics of pathogen emergence.
Arvind Varsani
I am a molecular virologist who works across ecosystems from plants to animals and from the tropics to the Antarctic. My research uses a combination of traditional virology, microscopy (including transmission electron microscopy), molecular and cellular biology techniques in conjunction with modern sequencing techniques, synthetic biology and bioinformatics to characterise viruses and understand their dynamics.
Arizona State University, Tempe, USA
6/2023 - current: Professor at the Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences
07/2016 - 6/2023: Associate Professor at the Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences
University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
02/2009 - 07/2016: Senior lecturer / researcher in School of Biological Sciences
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
07/2003 - 09/2008: Lecturer in the Structural Biology Research Unit
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
1998 - 2003: PhD in Molecular and cell biology
Loughborough University, Loughborough, England
1993 - 1997: BSc, DIS in Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Publications
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Combined With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Single-Arm Meta-Analysis Approach
Am J Clin Oncol. 2026 Jun 22. doi: 10.1097/COC.0000000000001341. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTOBJECTIVES: In locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are the frontline regimen, but the benefit of stereotactic body radiation (SBRT) in combination is unclear. Given randomized evidence for survival benefit with SBRT plus sorafenib, we performed a systematic review and … Read more
Novel avian papillomaviruses identified in a south polar skua sampled on Ross Island, Antarctica
Arch Virol. 2026 Jun 16;171(7):213. doi: 10.1007/s00705-026-06671-9. ABSTRACT Papillomaviruses are small circular DNA viruses that infect epithelial cells of their hosts. Avian papillomaviruses are poorly sampled/documented compared to those infecting humans. We used a viral metagenomic approach to identify viruses from the oral swab taken from a deceased south polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) found at … Read more
Four lineages of adenoviruses identified in raptors sampled in Spain
Virology. 2026 Jun 7;623:110990. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2026.110990. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Adenoviruses infect a wide range of vertebrate species from fish to humans, including an especially large number of avian species. This study utilized viral metagenomic workflow coupled with targeted PCR to identify and characterize adenoviruses from cloacal swabs collected from 50 black kites (Milvus … Read more
Diverse anelloviruses identified in wild geladas (Theropithecus gelada)
Arch Virol. 2026 Jun 4;171(7):199. doi: 10.1007/s00705-026-06651-z. ABSTRACT Anelloviruses are circular single stranded DNA viruses that are highly prevalent among humans and other mammal and avian hosts, with persistent infections enduring throughout the lifespan without causing disease. Investigating these viruses in non-human primate hosts can offer a phylogenetic perspective on anellovirus-primate evolutionary dynamics, and studying … Read more
Genomic Diversity of Vaginal Lactobacillus crispatus Prophages from South African Women
Viruses. 2026 Apr 30;18(5):519. doi: 10.3390/v18050519. ABSTRACT Lactobacillus crispatus is widely associated with optimal sexual and reproductive health outcomes. While L. crispatus genomes commonly harbor prophages, little is known about their genomic diversity and potential inducibility by clinically relevant compounds. We induced and characterized four bacteriophages from four L. crispatus strains isolated from vaginal secretions … Read more
Mammal-infecting DNA viruses identified in lemurs and rodents in Madagascar mirror the evolutionary history of their hosts
Microb Genom. 2026 May;12(5). doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.001728. ABSTRACT Given that some DNA viruses have been found to exhibit virus-host co-evolution and establish lifelong infection, mammals with unique evolutionary histories in island ecosystems likely host exceptionally diverse viruses. Madagascar is inhabited by endemic non-human primate and rodent lineages interacting with expansive populations of introduced non-native rodents across … Read more
