During his doctoral studies at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he researched how nutrition influences immune responses to viral pathogens, particularly the effects of diet-induced obesity on influenza infection. After earning his Ph.D. and certificates in Translational Medicine and Field Epidemiology, he focused on the spread and risks of viruses during his postdoctoral and Staff Scientist roles at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Currently, he is the Deputy Head of the Virology Unit at the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge in Phnom Penh, overseeing activities related to seasonal and zoonotic respiratory viruses. He directs the National Influenza Center, the WHO H5 Reference Lab, and coordinates a WHO COVID-19 Global Reference Laboratory. His work enhances surveillance of endemic and emerging viruses using novel technologies and genomic epidemiology to improve Early Warning systems. Additionally, he advises UN organisations like FAO and WHO and founded CANARIES, a consortium focused on infectious disease surveillance in animal markets.