Dr Brian Worthington obtained his PhD (Public Health, Virology) at the University of Hong Kong. He has completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Centre for Immunology and Infection (C2i) and at the Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (D²4H). His research focuses on the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases at the human–animal–environment interface, with an emphasis on biosecurity, One Health, and zoonotic/epizootic pathogen surveillance.

Dr Worthington received his BSc (Biological Sciences & Entomology) from Cornell University, where his early research in chemical ecology and wildlife biology inspired his commitment to improving animal health and welfare. He has extensive field and laboratory experience, gained through his work in settings across North America, Africa, and Asia. His work integrates molecular biology, microbiome research, and data science to investigate cross-species transmission dynamics and emerging infectious diseases.

In parallel with his academic work, Dr Worthington is the Co-founder and CEO of Performance X Limited, a biotechnology startup developing molecular and data-driven tools to advance animal health monitoring, disease detection, and development of targeted biotherapeutics. He continues to collaborate with veterinary clinicians, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres throughout Hong Kong, applying interdisciplinary approaches to promote both biodiversity conservation and public health resilience.

1. Pierce, M. P., Worthington, B. M., Han, S., Ni, X. B., Liao, Y., Shum, M. H., ... & Lam, T. T. (2025). Phylogenomics redefines the evolutionary history of mosquitoes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(42), e2519291122.
2. Worthington, B. M., Wong, P. Y. H., Kumaree, K. K., Prigge, T. L., Ng, K. H., Liao, Y., ... & Lam, T. T. (2024). Serological evidence of sarbecovirus exposure along Sunda pangolin trafficking pathways. BMC biology, 22(1), 274.
3. Qureshi, M. I., Worthington, B. M., Liu, Y., Cheung, W. Y. M., Su, S., Zheng, Z., ... & Zhu, H. (2023). Discovery of novel Mamastroviruses in Bactrian camels and dromedaries reveals complex recombination history. Virus Evolution, 9(1), veac125.
4. Miot, E. F., Worthington, B. M., Ng, K. H., de Lataillade, L. D. G., Pierce, M. P., Liao, Y., ... & Lam, T. T. (2022). Surveillance of rodent pests for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, Hong Kong. Emerging infectious diseases, 28(2), 467.
5. Barton, D. P., Martelli, P., Worthington, B. M., Lam, T. T. Y., Zhu, X., & Shamsi, S. (2022). Nematode and acanthocephalan parasites of confiscated Sunda pangolins, Manis javanica Desmarest, 1822 (Mammalia: Pholidota: Manidae), with an updated list of the parasites of pangolins. Diversity, 14(12), 1039.