With leadership from researcher Fernando Bozza, international consortium receives major funding to expand clinical studies in low- and middle-income countries 

The International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) has just secured up to £16.5 million (approx. USD 20.5 million) in funding to enhance the global response to emerging infectious diseases. One of the leading figures in this initiative is Brazilian researcher Fernando Bozza, from the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) and Fiocruz, who has been serving as Chair of ISARIC’s Executive Board since September 2024. 

Founded in 2011, ISARIC operates as a collaborative global network of scientists from 140 countries, working to generate robust scientific evidence to improve patient care during infectious outbreaks and help health systems worldwide respond swiftly and effectively to future health threats. 

The funding, confirmed in April, comes from the Wellcome Trust, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with a special focus on boosting clinical research capacity in low- and middle-income countries. 

“As long as we remain unprepared for infectious disease outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics will continue to threaten and impact millions of lives,” says Dr. Bozza. “This investment will strengthen the quality and capability of clinical research, particularly in regions with limited resources.” 

The five-year funding period will support studies on diseases such as dengue, viral respiratory infections, and Ebola. ISARIC became a major reference during the COVID-19 pandemic by compiling the largest clinical dataset of infected patients—about 1 million records—and has also worked on outbreaks of Zika, yellow fever, monkeypox, and bubonic plague. 

In addition to chairing ISARIC, Bozza leads research on infectious diseases and intensive care at IDOR and Rede D’Or, the largest hospital network in Latin America. His multidisciplinary team applies statistical modeling and machine learning to assess, for example, the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in Brazil. 

Bozza is also the founder and first president of the Brazilian Network for Intensive Care Research, working to strengthen collaborative initiatives across Latin America. His leadership at ISARIC highlights the strategic role of Brazilian scientists in responding to global health emergencies and advancing scientific infrastructure in the Global South.