ATLANTA — Emory University Hospital has opened what researchers call the first research unit of its kind in the United States dedicated to studying human-to-human transmission of airborne infectious diseases.

The new 10-bed airborne isolation unit will study how respiratory pathogens spread indoors between people through the use of volunteers.

“This is the first of its kind in the U.S. that’s a research unit dedicated to studying human to human transmission on respiratory pathogens,” Dr. Seema Lakdawala said.

Lakdawala said the research team will initially focus on studying the flu. The first study is scheduled to begin in June.

“So this is a 10 bed airborne isolation unit,” Lakdawala said.

Researchers said the goal of the new unit is to better understand how viruses spread through the air and determine which interventions are most effective at stopping transmission.

“So we’ve been moving into studying and establishing a human transmission model that is safe and robust that we can study how the virus is spreading between people, in places where we live, work, and gather,” Lakdawala said.

Lakdawala said researchers are especially focused on studying interventions aimed at slowing the spread of respiratory viruses.

“One of the things we’re focused on is intervention; how do we stop the spread of respiratory viruses. And so influenza is one of our biggest ones, it’s known to cause pandemics,” Lakdawala said.

She said researchers currently do not have a strong way of measuring how viruses spread between people or which interventions work best.

WSB Radio’s Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story.