A striking network image created by Dr Maya Wardeh has taken the front page of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s (BBSRC) Forward Look – a bold new framework that aims to deliver a healthy, sustainable and resilient future through the power of bioscience.
Dr Wardeh lectures in computer science, but her work has applications in health and life sciences – specifically disease ecology and integrative virology. She teaches modules in both the Faculty of Science and Engineering as well as the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences given the interdisciplinary nature of her research.
The image shows how viruses are directly transmitted to their hosts. The nodes (circles) represent viruses or their animal or plant hosts. Links between the nodes indicate if the virus is transmitted to the host by a direct transmission route. The size of the node scales with the number of links.
Dr Wardeh mines the data – which comes from publications or sequenced metadata – and uses a software called Gephi to produce this type of imagery. She was presenting a paper at a vector borne disease conference when the BBSRC approached her about using the image in their publication.
Speaking about her research Dr Wardeh said: “I've always thought that a striking image can potentially change the course of a paper or the course of a research output. When I was writing a paper ten years ago I would use just the standard method to describe data – like a table or a figure. Now I always make sure that I do proper visualisations, even for talks, because it engages more people, especially the general public.”
Part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), BBSRC’s Forward Look was published in July 2025 with a strong emphasis on a dynamic, interconnected and inclusive research and innovation ecosystem, which will amplify the power and reach of bioscience nationally and globally.
Read more about Dr Wardeh’s work
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