Professor Rachel Fearns announced as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of General Virology
18 December 2025
The Journal of General Virology (JGV) has appointed Professor Rachel Fearns as Editor-in-Chief from 1 January 2026.
Rachel is Professor and Chair of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, USA. Her research focuses on understanding the transcription and replication mechanisms of non-segmented negative strand RNA viruses, including prevalent respiratory pathogens such as respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus, and emerging pathogens including Marburg virus and Nipah virus. Rachel’s laboratory’s research employs a combination of virology, molecular biology, and biochemical approaches, and collaborates with structural biologists to elucidate polymerase structure-function mechanisms. In addition to pursuing basic research questions, Rachel collaborates with the pharmaceutical industry to determine mechanism of action of small molecule polymerase inhibitors.
On becoming Editor-in-Chief, Rachel said, “I’m thrilled to be stepping into the role of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of General Virology. It is the first journal that I published in and so it has a place close to my heart. Moreover, it is an honour to play a role in one of the key journals in an important field. I’m looking forward to working with all the editors and journal staff to explore how we can build on the journal’s many strengths to continue publishing high-quality papers that inform our understanding of virology in its many facets.”
On the appointment, Dr Peter Cotgreave, Chief Executive of the Microbiology Society, said, “We are delighted Rachel has accepted the role of Editor-in-Chief of JGV. Her wide-ranging expertise will be pivotal to its continued success as the journal at the forefront of virology research. JGV has been publishing peer-reviewed research for more than 50 years and it has a fantastic future ahead as we continue to publish for the community for the benefit of microbiologists everywhere as a not-for-profit publisher.”
The Journal of General Virology is at the forefront of virology research and home to the invaluable ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profiles.
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