# West African Emerging Infectious Disease Research Center (WA-EIDRC)

> **NIH NIH U01** · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · 2020 · $1,883,223

## Abstract

Ensuring a world safe from microbial threats is a pressing challenge, as outbreaks exact tolls on human
health, disrupt regional security, and have the potential to rapidly escalate into global crises. In recent
years, severe outbreaks of Ebola, Lassa, Zika, and other emerging viruses have illustrated how vulnerable
the world is to threats from RNA viral pathogens. These public health emergencies have exposed the
urgent need for improved infrastructure, scientific knowledge, and diagnostic tools in areas of the world
most at risk, and underscore the need for proactive pathogen surveillance, detection, and discovery.
West Africa has a disproportionate vulnerability to outbreaks, but we lack awareness of acute threats,
their natural history, and effective strategies for prevention. Rooted research between local and global
partners, combined with novel assays and strategies for pandemic preparedness is required to answer
these questions. We will build the capacity to rapidly respond to future outbreaks by establishing the
West African Emerging Infectious Disease Research Center. This center will expand on years of successful
cross-disciplinary research and capacity building, bringing together leading researchers from the United
States, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. We will: (​1​) perform comprehensive surveys of acute
RNA viral disease and determine critical threats circulating in hosts and reservoirs; (​2​) identify risk factors
of virus transmission and evolution; (​3​) dissect pathogenesis and natural history of severe RNA viral
diseases; and (​4​) determine diagnostic criteria for infection outcome to guide public health interventions.
Our work will significantly expand research capacity in West Africa via technology development of novel
solutions for surveillance, diagnostics, and pathogen discovery. By establishing our center with a focus on
priority pathogen research, technology transfer, training, and capacity building, we will develop flexible
strategies for detecting, mitigating, and preventing the emergence of future infectious disease outbreaks.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9969022
- **Project number:** 1U01AI151812-01
- **Recipient organization:** SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE
- **Principal Investigator:** Kristian Graugaard Andersen
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,883,223
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-21 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9969022

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9969022, West African Emerging Infectious Disease Research Center (WA-EIDRC) (1U01AI151812-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9969022. Licensed CC0.

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