Director Info

Dr Bickerton is a Group Leader working on the molecular biology and pathogenesis of coronaviruses at The Pirbright Institute.

Erica began working in the coronavirus field in 2006 when she started her PhD studies on the avian coronavirus, infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Her thesis focused on the cellular tropism and cell-to-cell fusion properties of the IBV spike glycoprotein. She continued her research into IBV as a post-doctoral research scientist, studying the role of the replicase in pathogenicity. She now leads the Coronavirus Group at The Pirbright Institute where the group studies the replication, evolution and pathogenicity of coronaviruses that infect livestock species including poultry and swine. Her laboratory has strong links to the veterinary pharmaceutical industry, and they have a focus on translating their research into vaccine development.