JBNU Graduate Student Na Eun-jee from the Laboratory of Veterinary Infectious Disease in the College of Veterinary Medicine recently won the best Oral Presentation Award at the International Conference of the World Society for Virology in Latvia. At the international conference, Na made a good impression by revealing an animal model for the Akabane Virus, and by presenting her research on the pathogenic mechanism of the virus using reverse genetics. The Akabane Virus is Culicoides-borne. The progress of global warming has caused the expansion of Culicoides’ habitat, so there is a possibility that the period and region of the virus will expand. Thus, research on the mediating disease caused by the Akabane Virus is critical. Through this study, Na established an animal model for the Akabane Virus which causes miscarriage, stillbirth, and encephalitis in cattle and explored related disease-causing factors and pathways using a mouse model.