Queen’s researcher receives BBSRC New Investigator Award to tackle mosquito-borne disease threats
Dr Ross Cuthbert from the School of Biological Sciences has been awarded over £1 million from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council to lead a major new project on mosquitoes, their viruses, and disease risks in Northern Ireland.
The BBSRC New Investigator Award supports early-career researchers in establishing independent research programmes, providing funding to pursue ambitious projects that address key scientific and societal challenges. This investment will allow Dr Cuthbert to build new research capacity in Northern Ireland to address emerging mosquito-borne disease threats under environmental change. The project involves a multi-institutional team across Queen’s, the University of Glasgow, and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Vector-borne diseases cause over 700,000 human deaths annually, with mosquitoes posing the greatest burden. The scale of this threat is connected to environmental degradation: urbanisation, agricultural intensification, climate change, and invasive species are shifting the distribution, abundance, and activity patterns of vector mosquitoes, their viruses, and the risks of associated pathogens.
While mosquitoes are often seen as being confined to more tropical regions, the United Kingdom and Ireland are experiencing increasing mosquito-borne disease risks to the public, livestock, and wildlife. Despite research efforts increasing in recent years, Northern Ireland has remained overlooked around mosquito-borne disease, with limited surveillance and research capacity. Nevertheless, there are at least 20 species of mosquitoes currently recorded across the island of Ireland — often playing a vital role within our ecosystems. Land use and climate change are rapidly shifting risks from nuisance biting and vector-borne disease, while biological invasions could bring non-native mosquito species alongside new pathogens that thrive under warming conditions.
MosquitoNI, led by Dr Cuthbert and in collaboration with project co-leads at Queen’s (Dr Connor Bamford), the University of Glasgow (Dr Emilie Pondeville), and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Dr Steven White and Dr Dominic Brass), will address this critical knowledge gap:
“Mosquitoes are an increasing concern in temperate areas, but are generally overlooked. This project will fill major knowledge gaps about mosquitoes and their potential to spread disease in Northern Ireland, helping us better predict future disease risks as the climate shifts.
I’m grateful to the BBSRC for their support, which will allow us to establish vital regional capacity for mosquito and pathogen surveillance, while raising societal awareness of the issue.”
Dr Emilie Pondeville, molecular and medical entomologist at the MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, added:
“This collaboration will strengthen links across the UK, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, fostering new partnerships and building long-term capacity in vector-borne disease research. This work is increasingly crucial in the context of climate change and the rising risk of mosquito-borne disease emergence and circulation.”
The project aims to establish new transdisciplinary networks that bring together academics, industry, charities, government, and the public to co-design outcomes and ensure findings are shared widely. By fostering these collaborations and prioritising public engagement, MosquitoNI aims to shape policy, inform decision-making, and raise awareness of mosquito-borne disease risks, ensuring that Northern Ireland is better prepared to respond to current and future challenges.
