Ilaria Capua is the director of One Health Center of Excellence at University of Florida, which focuses on co-advancing health as an integrated system through an interdisciplinary approach. A veterinarian by training, she has directed research teams internationally for over thirty years in the study of viral infections transmitted from animals to humans, as well as their pandemic potential.
In 2006, when confronted with the threat of an avian influenza pandemic, Capua made the decision to share the virus’s genetic sequence on free, open-access digital platforms. This act was a pivotal step in redefining the politics of transparency between international organizations in order to optimize strategies for confronting global threats, including pandemics.
In 2021 Capua received the Hypatia Prize from the Academia Europaea of Science, among many other honors.
She has published over 220 scientific studies and articles in international journals from 1993 to the present.