Kylene Kehn-Hall, Ph.D. carefully puts on her personal protective equipment (PPE) – a Tyvek suit, gloves, overshoes and a specialized helmet with a built-in respirator designed to protect the wearer from exposure to airborne pathogens. With an almost meditative vigilance, she periodically checks herself for any potential gaps or ruptures in the material—a necessary precaution when working with the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV).