Che Colpitts

Huge congratulations to Dr. Emma LeBlanc on her successful PhD thesis defence yesterday! As my first PhD student, Emma was instrumental in getting my lab up and running, in the midst of a pandemic, while managing to be very productive and do some exciting science along the way! #proudPI

We had a great time at #ASV2025 - thank you to the organizers for putting together an epic week of virology! We are heading home feeling inspired! #LoveVirology

Happy to share that I’ve received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor! I’m grateful for the supportive community of colleagues, mentors, family and friends, and for the talented and hard-working trainees I am lucky to work with. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to my journey!

We have a new Master of virology in our group! Congratulations to Elana on her successful MSc defence this afternoon! 🎉

Congratulations to our lab’s first PhD student, Emma LeBlanc, who successfully presented her exit seminar this afternoon showcasing some exciting findings (and a lot of hard work) from her PhD. Next up, thesis defence! #proudPI

Congratulations to our lab’s undergraduate student researchers Keya Jani, Rebeca Barkin and Dominic Doiron, who all gave excellent poster presentations today wrapping up their fourth year projects! We will miss them in the lab but wish them all the best in their next steps! #proudPI

Postdoctoral Researcher in Structural Virology This project is focused on deciphering the role of virally encoded AAA+ ATPases in the replication cycles of Enteroviruses and Noroviruses.

I’m looking for a postdoc to join my team under a recently funded ERC Starting Grant.

If you’re passionate about structural #virology and have experience in #cryoEM SPA and/or #cryoET, get in touch!

Application deadline: January 19th.

Please share with your networks 🙏

Job link: tiny.cc/7v33001

Earlier this week we had our annual lab holiday brunch to wrap up a successful and fun year. Happy holidays from the Colpitts lab!

Cellular sialoglycans are differentially required for endosomal and cell-surface entry of SARS-CoV-2 in lung cell lines Author summary The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in over 700 million infections and 7 million deaths so far, demonstrating the threat posed by emerging CoVs. In humans, SARS-Co...

Happy to share our recent paper in #PLOSPathogens where we looked at the roles of sialic acid in the different entry routes of SARS-CoV-2. A great team effort to get this across the finish line! #proudPI
journals.plos.org/plospathogen...

Scientists confront a mystery: Why have U.S. bird flu cases been so mild? The H5N1 bird flu outbreak in the U.S. has so far been shockingly mild. Researchers have some theories as to why.

Scientists who have studied #H5N1 #birdflu for years are flummoxed by the lack of severe cases among the 55 human cases the US has confirmed this year. I talked to lots to explore the theories of what's going on. www.statnews.com/2024/12/02/b...

Postdoctoral Research Associate at King's College London Discover an exciting academic career path as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

I am looking for 2 postdoctoral researchers to join my lab to work on the role of HIV-1 accessory proteins in the pathogenesis of HIV/AIDS and viral latency.

Please contact me informally or ‘re-sky’ to anyone you think may be interested. Closing Dec 10th

www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DKV639/p...

I’d like to be added please! My lab works on UPR and some ISR in the context of RNA virus infection. Thanks!

REMINDER: The CSV Early Career Researcher Virtual Seminar Series is this Friday, Nov 22 @ 10:30 AM PST / 1:30 PM EST!
Featuring talks from @brycewarner1 and @M_Goncheva.
A Zoom link has been sent to CSV members! Don't miss out and come support your fellow Canadian virologists!
#Virology #ECR #CSV

PhD Position in H5Nx Virus Evolution and Host Interactions Dive into the captivating world of virus-host interactions and help us redefine how to assess/predict zoonotic influenza outbreaks.

First post here... let's check it out... last days to apply for a PhD position in my lab! Looking for glyco and viro enthusiasts. #glycotime #lovevirology @eakarlsson.bsky.social www.uu.nl/en/organisat...

The preliminary sequence from the H5N1 human case in British Columbia has been posted and it is not good news. The virus potentially has a quasispecies at HA residue 226 (H3 numbering). This is bad news because we know that mutations at residue 226 can increase binding to human receptors. 1/

A group of enthusiastic virology trainees sitting around a table discussing a journal article recently published in Cell titled “Virology - The next 50 years”

A fun (and ambitious) journal club this afternoon discussing the next 50 years of virology research! 🦠

Couldn’t find a virology starter pack so here’s one to get the ball rolling. Repost/reply if you are a virologist so I can find and add you to the list!

go.bsky.app/SinqoJU

Some nice birthday surprises from the lab today (including some exciting new data at lab meeting!)…although I dropped the ball by not wearing my usual plaid shirt! Feeling lucky to work with such a great group - they are the best!

We had a fantastic time at #HCVFlavi2024 in Oxford - thanks to the organizers for putting together an excellent conference, and to all our colleagues for sharing their exciting science! We are returning home feeling inspired! 👩‍🔬🦠

Only 5 days left!! Come join us at @cansocvirol.bsky.social - we are seeking members interested in serving on the CSV Governing Council from 2024-2026! Positions include Vice President, Treasurer/Secretary, 3 Directors, and a trainee representative!
For more info: www.csv-scv.ca/en/job-offers

Excellent door-decorating effort by the lab to get us into the holiday spirit!

A new, very good review on Long Covid
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A new group photo for a new academic year, and a slightly belated welcome to our new graduate and undergraduate trainees! Good times ahead!

SARS-CoV-2 evolution in the Omicron era - Nature Microbiology Evolution of Omicron lineages and future evolutionary trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 are discussed.

Really excited to see our perspective piece on the different ways Omicron lineages have evolved over the last 1.5 years is out now! Really nice collaboration between variant trackers and academics (including a lot of the Pango team).

Thanks, Craig! Trinity started in the lab just in time to help us tackle the revisions. Fingers crossed for your manuscript!

Induction of antiviral gene expression by cyclosporine A, but not inhibition of cyclophilin A or B, ... The development of antivirals with an extended spectrum of activity is an attractive possibility to protect against future emerging coronaviruses (CoV…

My inaugural Bluesky post: Sharing our recent paper in Antiviral Research looking at the antiviral mechanism of cyclosporine A against common cold coronavirus 229E and the role of IRF1-associated antiviral immunity. Proud of the team! 🎉
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...