Naomi received her PhD from the University of Liverpool in the UK where she studied the Molecular epidemiology of Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus. This led to her interest in the evolution of viruses within the host and vector. In her current lab under the mentorship of Dr. Scott Weaver she is studying the role that intra-host variation plays in the evolution and maintenance of the virus in the environment. She is currently working on Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus and the mosquito vector Culex taeniopus to understand the way in which the virus adapts to infecting both the mosquito and mammalian host. Her research should provide valuable insight into the strategies the virus employs to successfully infect both the host and vector and should lead to more effective therapies. Her career goal is to pursue academic research in the field of viral evolution. Project title: The role of quasispecies in the transmission and pathogenesis of RNA viruses.