From Dengue fever to Zika, viruses are prevalent around the world and virus pandemics frequently make headlines.

University of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Trushar Patel and his team are shining new light on viruses and how they survive in an effort to ultimately develop approaches that could apply to families of viruses to inhibit their replication.

Patel is a Canada Research Chair in RNA and Protein Biophysics, a professor of chemistry & biochemistry and member of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute. His lab is inspiring and training the next generation of researchers, including Tyler Mrozowich (BSc ’18), a master’s candidate who first worked in Patel’s lab as an undergraduate student in 2017.

“We have an ongoing commitment to teach the next generation of trainees, starting from first-year undergraduates all the way to the PhD program,” says Patel. “If you are motivated, we help you create and harness your research skills, which helps us push the research forward and helps you get your career moving forward.”