Virologist

What is a virologist?

A virologist is someone who studies and has a deep understanding of viruses. This might include how they reproduce, how they infect their hosts, how they spread, or how to prevent or treat infections. Viruses are small organisms that can infect people, animals, plants and bacteria.

Virologists are often medical researchers, teachers or medical doctors. But the term “virologist” can cover a lot of different job titles and responsibilities. A virologist might:

• Work in a hospital, testing samples for viruses or making recommendations for treatment.
• Treat patients or perform clinical research as a medical doctor. This might include specializing in diagnosing and treating infectious diseases or managing chronic viral infections, like HIV or hepatitis.
• Work as a physician-scientist, devoting part of their time to treating patients and part of their time to research.
• Perform basic research (also called bench research or fundamental research), studying how specific viruses reproduce, infect hosts (people, animals, plants and bacteria) and spread. This might be at research or academic institutions.
• Perform translational or applied research (using basic research to solve a specific problem), like developing vaccines or antiviral medications. This might be at academic institutions or in private industry, like pharmaceutical companies.
• Work for public health organizations. This might include doing research, identifying outbreaks and newly emerging viruses, and advising on how to manage the spread of viruses.

There are many other opportunities for virologists as well, like medical journalism, grant writing or consulting.

What job titles do virologists have?

While some scientists that specialize in viruses have the job title of “virologist,” other titles might include:

• Lab or research technician.
• Lab, research or staff scientist.
• Postdoctoral fellow.
• Postdoctoral researcher.
• Lab director.
• Principal investigator (PI).
• Professor.
• Program director.
• Infectious disease specialist.
• Immunologist.
• Pathologist.

Do virologists go to medical school?

Many virologists have an MD or a PhD. Some even have both. An MD (medical doctorate) or a DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine) is the degree you get when you complete medical school. A PhD is an advanced degree in a specialized field that usually focuses on research.

While many virologists go to medical school, you don’t necessarily need to, depending on what part of the field you want to work in. A PhD gives you valuable experience in research and problem-solving. A medical degree gives you experience working with patients and a focus on diagnosing and treating disease.

How do I become a virologist?

What you’ll need to study to become a virologist depends on what you’d like to do in your career. A good place to start is with a bachelor’s degree in a science field, like biology, chemistry or medical laboratory science. Then you might get an advanced degree depending on your career goals. For instance:

• If you want to do research, you might need a PhD or an MS (master’s degree in science) in virology or a related field. Some lab positions only require a bachelor’s degree. It’s helpful to have a medical degree (MD or DO) if you want to work in clinical research, but not always necessary. Some U.S. states also require you to pass a state licensure exam to work in a medical lab.
• If you want to head a research lab or direct your own research, you’ll likely need a PhD. Some lab directors have a medical degree instead of — or in addition to — a PhD.
• If you want to treat patients directly, you’ll need to complete medical training. In the U.S., this means medical school and residency. You’ll also probably need to complete a fellowship (or other specialized training) in a specialty like infectious disease or immunology.

The best way to know what kind of education you need is to look up the jobs you’d like to have and see what their education requirements are.

How long does it take to become a virologist?

Whether you’re going to medical school or getting a PhD, expect around 10 years of additional time training for your career after high school. After getting your bachelor’s degree (usually four years), you can expect:

• Five to six more years in a PhD program.
• At least seven years in medical training if you want to treat patients.
• Eight to 10 years in an MD-PhD program.

What can I study if I want to be a virologist?

Subjects you might want to study if you want to become a virologist include:

• Biology. This includes microbiology, cell biology and molecular biology.
• Chemistry. This includes biochemistry and organic chemistry.
• Genetics.
• Immunology.
• Infectious disease.
• Cancer/oncology.

Where do virologists work?

Virologists work for:

• Academic research laboratories.
• Government or public health agencies (like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. or the World Health Organization).
• Hospitals.
• Colleges and universities.
• Private medical research laboratories.
• Pharmaceutical companies.

Are virologists in demand?

Demand for virologists depends on the employer (especially whether it’s private industry or academic), your experience and your specific area of expertise.

What’s the difference between virologist and an epidemiologist?

Virologists study viruses and diagnose and treat disease. Epidemiologists look for the causes of a disease and who’s at risk of getting it. They can also help determine how to prevent it or stop its spread. This can be infectious diseases like viruses and bacteria, but it can also be autoimmune diseases, cancer or even injuries. Epidemiologists usually don’t develop medications or vaccines or treat patients.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a lot of interest in virology. While most of us stayed armchair researchers, many people decided to pursue careers in virus research. The good news is, virologists aren’t limited to just one type of job. They can do research, teach, develop vaccines and antiviral treatments, work in public health, diagnose viral infections, treat patients and more. Where you focus your career depends on your strengths and interests.

There’s also no single “right” path to becoming a virologist — though you’ll have to leave your armchair to do it. Most virologists have a PhD or an MD, but your area of expertise may have different requirements. Wherever your strengths are, studying these tiny viral invaders can make a big impact.