Biomedical research covers a range of applications that pursue the investigation of diseases that impact human and veterinary health as well as the development and discovery of treatments, vaccines and cures. Research is typically conducted by universities, public health departments, governmental agencies, military, NGOs, not-for-profit organizations, private research labs and life science companies.

Infectious disease research covers viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal pathogens. Investigative focus areas may include: airborne infectious disease, aerobiology, immune-mediated disease, reemerging infectious diseases; antimicrobial drug resistance as well as the development of diagnostic methods, vaccines and therapeutics.