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PHD Projects
Research Project - DC5

Research Project - DC5

DC5 — Tracking minor variants in avian influenza genome RNA populations to investigate virus evolution under suboptimal vaccination

 

photo Fanny Persson.jpg

My name is Fanny and I was born and raised in a small town in Sweden. I moved to Uppsala to study at Uppsala University, where I obtained a Master’s degree in Immunology and Microbiology. During my studies and previous research experiences, I worked on influenza virus surveillance, gaining experience with different approaches to monitor virus spread in both human and animal populations.
In January 2026, I joined the VIVACE network and started my PhD at INRAE-ENVT Toulouse, under the supervision of Prof. Romain Volmer with co-supervision from Dr. Steven Van Borm and Dr. Isabella Monne. My PhD project focuses on the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) methodologies to enable sensitive detection of minor genetic variants in avian influenza virus populations. In particular, I aim to apply these methods to identify early immune escape variants in settings where vaccination is imperfect.
Outside of research, I am an avid musician and enjoy playing the guitar, piano, and harmonica. I also love spending time outdoors, especially skiing and snowboarding

DC5 develops robust pipelines to detect and quantify minor genetic variants in avian influenza virus populations—critical to spotting immune-escape trajectories early, especially when vaccination is imperfect. The work standardizes sensitive NGS/analytics (with calibration standards), then applies them in controlled “suboptimal vaccination” models (e.g., imperfect match/administration) and in field samples.

By charting within-host and within-farm viral evolution over time, DC5 clarifies how vaccination pressure reshapes RNA variant landscapes before dominant escape emerges. The resulting validated workflows support DC4/DC6/DC7 analyses and provide actionable early-warning capability for surveillance and control.

Modification date: 29 January 2026 | Publication date: 01 October 2025 | By: Iris Angeles DE CESARE