virologist

American  

[vahy-rol-uh-jist, vi-] / vaɪˈrɒl ə dʒɪst, vɪ- /

noun

1. a medical researcher or scientist who studies viruses and the diseases caused by them.

   She worked for several years as a virologist on the dengue fever vaccine development team, devising ways to weaken the virus so it could be incorporated into a vaccine.

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Etymology

Origin of virologist

virolog(y) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Explanation

A virologist is a scientist who studies infectious diseases. Contagious viruses like measles, mumps, the flu, and coronavirus are the particular focus of a virologist. After 19th-century scientists found that some diseases were caused by viruses, rather than bacteria or fungi, the very first virologists began examining these newly-discovered microorganisms. Today there are many advanced techniques and tools for understanding viruses and the infections they produce in humans. Virologist is from virus, originally defined as "poisonous substance," and its Latin root, which means "poison, sap of plants, or slimy liquid."

Example Sentences

Prof Stephen Griffin, a virologist from the University of Leeds, said Covid is "still a public health concern" and that vaccines offer the "best protection".

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Seema Lakdawala, a virologist at Atlanta-based Emory University, adds another caveat: this simulation model "assumes a very efficient transmission of influenza viruses".

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025

The highly respected virologist Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before Congress that the pandemic could result in "many, many millions" of deaths.

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2025

“I do think that people are continually minimizing this outbreak and this virus,” said Rick Bright, a virologist and the former head of the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2025

A C.D.C. virologist named Patricia Webb—who was then married to Johnson—opened the box.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston