Judith Breuer

Judith Breuer is a British virologist who is professor of virology and director of the Pathogen Genomics Unit at University College London. She was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2019. Breuer is part of the United Kingdom genome sequencing team that looks to map the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019.

Early life and education As a child, Breuer was inspired by Vera Brittain and Simone de Beauvoir. She eventually studied medicine at the Middlesex Hospital medical school. During her doctoral degree Breuer studied the genes of HIV-2 tissue culture isolates. Her medical career started in East London, where she noticed that there was a large population of adults with chickenpox. This is rare for countries like the United Kingdom, where children usually contract the disease. She simultaneously holds a clinical position at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Breuer has investigated norovirus, a pandemic that occurs on cycles of between two and five years. Using phylogenetic trees Breuer showed that the pandemic strains of norovirus exist in the population long before the virus spreads around the world. She believes that changes in the immunity of a population create an environment that allows the pandemic to spread, and that the pandemic strains may exist in children before they emerge in the wider population. For almost three decades, it was unclear how the Varicella zoster virus retained its dormancy. Breuer was the first to identify a latency-associated genetic transcript, which can persist in the neurons of almost all adults.

In 2016 Breuer launched the Pathogens Genomics Unit at University College London, which allows the scientific community to better sequence pathogen genomes. She was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2019.

Her research includes the development of new tools and tests to protect people from antimicrobial resistance. Supported by the Department of Health and Social Care, Breuer looks to identify and treat antimicrobial resistant diseases, ensure the appropriate treatment pathways and prevent the spread of antibiotic resistant diseases between people. This aspect of her research makes use of artificial intelligence to quickly interpret test results, collating information from electronic health records and learning how clinicians make use of test results in clinical care. To achieve this, Breuer is involved with the design of new diagnostic tools, comprehensive randomized controlled trials and clinical management mechanisms.

Selected publications