Basic & Translational Research

Daisy W. Leung, PhD
Professor, Departments of Medicine, Pathology and Immunology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
- Phone: 314-286-0645
- Email: dwleung@wustl.edu
The Leung Lab is focused on developing a mechanistic understanding of host-pathogen interactions that contribute to viral pathogenesis through immune evasion.

Hongming Ma PhD
Instructor in Medicine
- Phone: 314-362-2847
- Email: hongmingma@wustl.edu
Dr. Ma is skilled in Cell Biology, Science, Molecular Biology, Research, and Teaching. Strong education professional with a Ph. D. focused in Immunology of aquatic animals from Ocean University of China.

Laura Marks, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Dr. Marks specializes in clinical infectious diseases with a special focus on infectious complications in people who inject drugs.

Mark J. Miller, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
- Phone: 314-362-3044
- Fax: 314-362-4096
- Email: mmiller23@wustl.edu
Dr. Miller manages core operations, technical & scientific consultations , 2-photon imaging. His interests are in vivo imaging approaches to study cellular immunity, in particular cellular mechanisms of antigen presentation and leukocyte trafficking during infection and inflammation.

Makedonka Mitreva, PhD
The Robert E. and Louise F. Dunn Professor of Medical Sciences, Departments of Medicine and Genetics
- Phone: 314-286-2005
- Fax: 314-286-1810
- Email: mmitreva@wustl.edu
Dr. Mitreva is an internationally acclaimed scientist who leads a basic and translational research program studying neglected tropical diseases, specifically helminth infections. Her enduring dedication to enhancing omics-driven discoveries and their clinical applications is paving the way for long-lasting improvements in global health.

Ekansh Mittal, PhD
Instructor in Medicine
- Email: emittal@wustl.edu
Dr. Mittal specializes in the intricate dynamics of host-pathogen interactions, with a particular emphasis on the innate immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).

Patrick D. Olson, MD, PhD
Instructor of Medicine
- Email: olsonp@wustl.edu
Areas of Interest in ID:
Host pathogen interaction in bacterial pathogenesis

Jennifer A. Philips, MD, PhD
Theodore and Bertha Bryan Professor, Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology; Co-director, Infectious Diseases Division
- Phone: 314-747-8058
- Email: philips.j.a@wustl.edu
Dr. Philips is principal investigator of an NIH-funded lab that studies how Mycobacterium tuberculosis evades the host immune response.

Marilia R. Pinzone, MD
Instructor of Medicine
- Email: marilia@wustl.edu
Dr. Pinzone’s interests are HIV, TB and viral infections in immunocompromised hosts.

Rachel M. Presti, MD, PhD
Professor, Infectious Diseases | Medical Director of the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Unit (IDCRU)
- Phone: 314-454-8215
- Fax: 314-454-5392
- Email: prestir@wustl.edu
Dr. Presti specializes in clinical and translational research in infectious disease, with a special focus on HIV, SARS-CoV-2 and other viral infections.

Adriana M. Rauseo, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
- Phone: 314-454-8254
- Email: a.rauseoacevedo@wustl.edu
Dr. Rauseo specializes in clinical infectious diseases, with a special focus on mycology and infectious that affect immunocompromised hosts. Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic she has served as an investigator in the Infectious Disease Clinical Research Unit (ID-CRU) in multiple clinical trials and translational research in the fight against COVID-19.

Bruce A. Rosa, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
- Phone: 314-273-5550
- Email: barosa@wustl.edu
Dr. Rosa’s experience in the statistical analysis of complex datasets (utilizing multiple types of evidence spanning treatments or species) has led to the identification differentially expressed genes, drug targets and pathways of interest for experimental verification.

Liang Shan, PhD
Associate Professor in Medicine and of Pathology & Immunology
- Phone: 314-747-0050
- Email: liang.shan@wustl.edu
The Shan lab uses in vitro, ex vivo, and humanized mouse models to study basic immunobiology of HIV infection and develops immunotherapeutic strategies towards an HIV cure; HIV-1 infection and host immune responses

Jonathan H. Sheehan, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
- Phone: 314-273-8368
- Email: jonathan.sheehan@wustl.edu
Dr. Sheehan specializes in personalized structural biology, with a special focus on the molecular basis of disease mechanisms.

Alaullah Sheikh, PhD
Instructor in Medicine
- Phone: 314-362-9219
- Email: asheikh@wuslt.edu
Dr. Sheikh specializes in bacterial pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, host responses, and vaccines, with a special focus on enteric bacterial pathogens including enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC).

Chen Shen, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
- Phone: 314-273-3387
- Email: shenc@wustl.edu
Dr. Shen studies the structural mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions with an emphasis on the signaling involving NOD-like receptors and other pattern recognition receptors. The ultimate goal is to provide the molecular basis for the development of therapeutics targeting various infectious diseases.

Eva-Maria Strauch, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Molecular Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
- Email: evas@wustl.edu
The main focus of Dr. Strauch's research is on how to diagnose, prevent and treat viral infections with the aim to generate new antivirals and candidates for vaccination through protein design.

Larissa B. Thackray, PhD
Professor of Medicine
- Phone: 314-747-7976
- Email: lthackray@wustl.edu
Dr. Thackray specializes in basic research on RNA viruses with a specific focus on the role of the microbiome in host immunity and pathogenic outcome following systemic virus infection. She also uses model systems to characterize therapeutics and vaccines against emerging pandemic viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.

Gary J. Weil, MD
Gerald and Judith Medoff Professor of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Professor, Molecular Microbiology
- Phone: 314-747-5198
- Fax: 314-454-5293
- Email: gweil@wustl.edu
Dr. Weil’s research group conducts research on filarial nematode parasites that cause important tropical diseases such as elephantiasis and river blindness. This includes basic research on parasite biology and translational research to develop improved diagnostic tests and treatments.