Tessy Hick is driven by curiosity to study fundamental virology questions with an applied perspective to improve global health. She earned her PhD from Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands, where she investigated the mechanism of alphavirus superinfection exclusion and recombination. Her work was pivotal in assessing the environmental safety of alphavirus-based self-amplifying mRNA vaccines, particularly their potential for recombination with wild-type viruses. 

Currently, Tessy is a postdoctoral researcher at Umeå University in Sweden. Her research focuses on the interactions between alphaviruses and host cells, as well as the mechanism of alphavirus adaptation. She is passionate about integrating her extensive knowledge on virus replication and her interest in virus-based vectors in future research projects. 
 

In addition to her research, Tessy is actively involved in the academic community. She has received multiple travel awards to present her work during various scientific conferences, was a board member of the PE&RC graduate school, enjoys organizing professional events like symposia, and is deeply committed to mentoring students through courses and internships.