Dr Kylie Van der Hoek is virologist with more than 14 years of NHMRC-funded research experience investigating viral pathogenesis, antiviral immunity, and emerging infectious diseases. Her research combines molecular virology, viral genomics, metagenomics, and bioinformatics to understand virus-host interactions, viral diversity, and disease emergence. Her recent research is focused on understanding of host antiviral responses to emerging viruses, including Zika virus infection of the placenta and female reproductive tract. She also has expertise in viral discovery and characterisation of viruses in field samples, including circulating in South Australian Grey-Headed flying fox populations, with a view to determining innate immune factors influencing viral spillover. She has expertise in next-generation sequencing, viral genome assembly, transcriptomics, CRISPR-based technologies, and analysis of host-virus interactions. Through collaborations spanning wildlife ecology, veterinary science, placental biology and infectious disease research, my work aims to improve understanding of emerging and zoonotic viruses, to strengthen pandemic preparedness and i9mprove human health.