Meet Daniel Arnold, an early career scientist who has gone from collecting pathology samples at our Wagga Wagga laboratory to researching virology and pandemic preparedness at Oxford University in the UK. We chat with Daniel about growing up in regional NSW, studying at a local university during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking his studies overseas and eventually landing a once-in-a-lifetime scholarship worth $270,000 to study at Oxford. He discusses his plans to study bird flu and other emerging viral threats and his ambition to start his own research lab here in Australia. An inspiring conversation that proves big dreams can start in small towns.