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In this PSI Seminar, the session will cover the recent Rift Valley fever virus (RVFv) outbreak in Senegal, Mauritania, and The Gambia, showcasing PSI’s work in outbreak response, vaccine development, diagnostics, and ethical considerations in research.
Seminar outline
In September 2025, a major outbreak of Rift Valley fever virus (RFVv) affected the West African countries of Senegal, Mauritania and The Gambia. The outbreak has since begun to subside after causing over 500 confirmed human cases and 30 deaths. RVFv is a WHO priority pathogen due to its high case fatality rate and lack of medical countermeasures, but the sporadic nature of outbreaks presents a significant challenge for the development and evaluation of treatments, therapeutics and diagnostics.
The PSI is uniquely positioned to respond to outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF) such as RVF, not only through developing one of the most advanced RVF vaccine candidates, but also through extensive expertise in diagnostic development, trial design, outbreak response analytics, and evaluating practical and ethical challenges during outbreak research.
This internal session will showcase work from a range of PSI researchers, including those directly involved in the recent RVFv outbreak, as well as RVFv and VHF research more generally. Short talks will be given by Danny Wright (senior postdoctoral researcher, OVG), Ben Young (postdoctoral researcher, Fraser group), Emily Adams (associate professor and Chief Global Health Officer at GADx), and Sandrena Frischer (DPhil candidate, Ethox), followed by a panel discussion. An introduction to RVF will be given by George Warimwe (professor of vaccinology). The session will be followed by networking opportunities, tea & cake.
About the speakers
The session will be chaired by James Hay, Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellow (Fraser Group). An introduction to Rift Valley fever virus will be given by Christophe Fraser, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. The panel will feature short presentations from Danny Wright (Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, OVG), Ben Young (Postdoctoral Researcher, Fraser Group), Emily Adams (Associate Professor and Chief Global Health Officer, GADx), and Sandrena Frischer (DPhil Candidate, Ethox), followed by a panel discussion.
