McMaster awarded another $20M for COVID-19 research The novel coronavirus is now considered to be among the microbial pathogens that can cause sepsis, often with deadly results, according to COVID-19 research conducted earlier in the pandemic.Alison Fox-Robichaud, professor of medicine at McMaster and scientific director of the new network, said sepsis isn’t widely understood, and responses to it are often varied and inconsistent among different health care providers.“We are prepared to develop a strategic plan to extend our mission beyond this initial funding, with the ultimate goal of assuring that we are able to offer a cure for sepsis,” Fox-Robichaud said.The research will focus on those who are especially vulnerable to sepsis,.