Cassandra Koh

Vector biologist and virologist at the Institut Pasteur in France

Cassandra Koh is a Junior Group Leader at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, France. Combining expertise in viral metagenomics, insect immunity, and vector biology, she seeks to understand the factors that drive the transmission of zoonotic arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). After securing an ERC Starting Grant in 2024, her research focuses on the biology of mosquito viromes and how they influence mosquitoes’ ability to act as disease vectors, viewed through a One Health framework. Originally from Indonesia, Cassandra’s academic journey has taken her through a PhD at Monash University in Australia, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institut Pasteur. There, her research centered on mosquito virome dynamics across time and diverse geographical settings. Cassandra firmly believes in the democratisation of science, which plays an especially important role in the context of understanding tropical disease ecologies.