Professor Jemma Geoghegan is the Webster Family Chair in Viral Pathogenesis and a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Otago. She is an evolutionary virologist whose research uses genomic technologies to understand how viruses emerge, evolve and spread in humans, animals and wildlife. Her work spans pandemic preparedness, emerging zoonotic diseases, wildlife conservation and infectious disease surveillance. Jemma has received numerous national and international awards in recognition of her research, including the Prime Minister's MacDiarmid Scientist Prize and the Prime Minister's Science Communication Prize. She is an active science communicator and regularly provides expert advice to government and the media on emerging infectious diseases.