Our researchers - Dr Sam Wilson

Sam J. Wilson is a principal investigator at the MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. He is a molecular virologist who has spent most of his career working on viral restriction, focussing on the molecular details of why viruses sometimes prosper and sometimes do not. His group’s main interest is the ‘antiviral state’ generated by interferon signalling, and through the use of arrayed expression screens his group aims to dissect the antiviral state and identify the specific antiviral genes that have evolved to combat virus infection.

Most of Sam’s previous research has focused on HIV-1 where his work has made a number of contributions to understanding the molecular details that define the host range of HIV-1 and other retroviruses. In recent years, Sam’s research interests have expanded to include a number of RNA viruses including coronaviruses and the role of interferons in COVID-19 disease severity.