Dr Giulia Gallo

Dr Giulia Gallo is a postdoctoral scientist in the Viral Glycoproteins Group at the The Pirbright Institute. Her research sits at the intersection of molecular virology, viral-host interactions, viral entry, innate immunity, and zoonotic spillover. Her published work includes research on orthohantaviruses, viral glycoproteins and the mechanisms that shape how viruses interact with human and animal hosts.  

Her work has helped advance understanding of how rodent-borne orthohantaviruses interact with both human and animal hosts. She is the lead author of research examining how viral proteins from pathogenic and low or non-pathogenic orthohantaviruses interact with human type I interferon signalling, a key part of the body’s early antiviral response. She has also led research on the different susceptibilities and responses of human and rodent cells to orthohantavirus infection, helping explain why these viruses can persist in small mammal reservoirs without obvious disease while causing severe illness in humans.

Dr Gallo’s research interests also extend beyond hantaviruses to viral glycoproteins more broadly: the proteins on the surface of viruses that help them enter host cells and, in some cases, cross species barriers. At Pirbright, the Viral Glycoproteins Group investigates viral-host interactions, particularly those involved in viral entry, innate immunity and viral RNA replication, using molecular virology to better understand why viruses cause disease and how they jump between species.  

Dr Gallo has provided expert commentary on the recent MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak. Her commentary has featured on Sky News, BBC World News and Channel 4 News, as well as in national and international media outlets including the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, MSN and Associated Press.