Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Research (CIDER)

CIDER is a NIH-funded consortium that integrates human cohort studies with state-of-the-art fundamental research.  The Center is based at the University of Georgia, with national and international partner institutions, adding complementary expertise. Center activities emphasize a plurality of disciplinary approaches, encompassing virology, immunology, ecology, clinical research, molecular systematics, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and computational biology. CIDER has human cohorts on multiple continents, with national and international sites in both the northern and southern hemispheres. These sites enable longitudinal human influenza sampling of adults and children, including assessment of vaccination, high-risk populations, and individuals hospitalized with severe disease. The human cohorts and sampling within CIDER may potentially address fundamental questions surrounding influenza vaccination, infection, and disease severity. The research projects involve a team of investigators at three CIDER institutions, capitalizing on investigator expertise through collaboration within the CIDER network. Basic research studies will dissect what differentiates influenza A and B viruses and host responses to infection, driving distinct evolutionary paths and influencing influenza epidemiology.