BIDMC Investigators and Mass General Brigham Colleagues Join Nationwide Effort To Study the Spread of Respiratory Viruses

The Federal Initiative Aims To Improve Pandemic Preparedness

BOSTON – Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) are collaborating on a new, multi-site study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the spread of respiratory viruses and enhance pandemic preparedness. This five-year initiative, part of the CDC’s Community and Household Acute Respiratory Illness Monitoring (CHARM) Network, aims to improve understanding of respiratory virus transmission and support real-time public health responses to emerging outbreaks.

Led locally by BIDMC’s Kathryn E. Stephenson, MD, MPH, the Boston team joins CHARM Network counterparts at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) and the University of Washington (UW) in this nationwide effort. By monitoring a broad range of respiratory pathogens, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2, and gathering data on infections, immune responses, and behavioral factors affecting transmission, the investigators will create a comprehensive understanding of respiratory virus behavior in communities from coast to coast.

"Taking a proactive approach by monitoring respiratory viruses is critical in a world where COVID persists and new pathogens like the H5N1 bird flu currently affecting US poultry and dairy farms continue to evolve and pose new potential threats," said Stephenson, a physician-scientist in the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research (CVVR) at BIDMC. "Virus surveillance is the public health equivalent of tracking a storm on radar—the goal is to spot threats early, protect the most vulnerable and stay ahead of the next pandemic."

Stephenson’s co-investigators will include Michael S. Seaman, PhD, of BIDMC; Amy Barczak, MD, Jacob Lemieux, MD, PhD, Mark Siedner, MD, MPH of MGH, Jonathan Li, MD, MMSc of BWH; and Nadine Fornelos-Martins, PhD of the Massachusetts Consortium of Pathogen Readiness (MassCPR) at Harvard Medical School.

The Boston investigators bring extensive expertise in viral epidemiology, immune response research, and community-based interventions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephenson played a key role in testing the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

Data generated by the CHARM Network will be made publicly available, providing valuable resources for researchers, policymakers, and public health officials. By offering near real-time information on infection trends and circulating strains, the initiative aims to guide timely and effective public health responses.

“This partnership will help us stay ahead of future respiratory virus outbreaks by delivering actionable insights when they’re needed most,” said Stephenson.

Recruitment for the Boston cohorts will begin this year, with participants drawn from diverse populations to ensure broad representation.

Additional investigators include Ai-Ris Y. Collier, MD, Douglas S. Krakower, MD, Talya Salant, MD, PhD, and Griffin M. Weber, MD, PHD of BIDMC; and Julie Boucau, PhD, Wanda Gonzalez, MD, and Lael Yonker, MD of MGH.