Dr. Christine Carrington is Professor of Molecular Genetics and Virology at The University of the West Indies (UWI) in Trinidad and Tobago, with over thirty years' experience in infectious disease research and expertise in virus evolution, pathogen surveillance and genomics. Her research focuses on factors underlying viral emergence and epidemic behaviour, particularly for vector-borne and zoonotic RNA viruses including dengue, chikungunya, rabies and coronaviruses. She coordinates the UWI PAHO/WHO Reference Sequencing Laboratory and directs the Global Virus Network Affiliated Centre in Trinidad and Tobago. Much of her current work is with veterinary and public health institutions to strengthen laboratory capacity for One Health molecular diagnostics and genomic surveillance, including metagenomic approaches for clinical and field surveillance, in support of Caribbean pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.