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  • SPOTLIGHT

Deadly diseases and inflatable suits: how I found my niche in virology research

Virologist Hulda Jónsdóttir studies some of the world’s most pathogenic viruses at the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland.
By
  1. Nikki Forrester

    1. Nikki Forrester is a science journalist based in Davis, West Virginia.

Virologist Hulda R. Jónsdóttir studies some of the world’s most pathogenic viruses at the Spiez Laboratory in Spiez, Switzerland. For her, highly pathogenic viruses are more often a source of curiosity than of concern. Jónsdóttir, who runs a research project at the Spiez Laboratory, regularly dons a giant, inflatable protective suit to research disinfectants and antiviral compounds to combat several lethal viruses, including Ebola virus and Lassa virus. Jónsdóttir spoke to Nature about carving her own path in virology research and why she chose to pursue a career in Switzerland and at the Spiez Laboratory, which is owned and funded by the Swiss government.

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Nature 628, S4 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01098-1

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

This article is part of Nature Spotlight: Switzerland, an editorially independent supplement. Advertisers have no influence over the content.

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