He was one of the pioneers in the field. It was while he was heading an imaging program at the University of Arizona that he began to do research with viruses. Work with rotaviruses led him to a collaboration with Dr. Mary Estes at Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center, who suggested that he move to Houston, where he would have more collaborators and greater access to the technology he needed. In Houston, he could start a program and build it the way he wanted. Chiu accepted and began his work here in 1988.
Viruses are natural phenomena, occurring in all animals, including humans.
Most are no more than a few genes swathed in one or more protein coats. No one knows how they came into being or why they exist. This dance, she writes, is a natural way of varying the gene pool, propelling evolution and increasing genetic variability. The bearer of these genes is infinitesimally tiny, thousands of times smaller than the microscopic cells they invade. To put the size in perspective, consider that the average person is less than two meters tall.