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INFORMATION FOR

    Akiko Iwasaki, PhD

    Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Professor of Dermatology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)
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    About

    Titles

    Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Professor of Dermatology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)

    Positions outside Yale

    Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, (HHMI)

    Biography

    Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D., is a Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in Canada and her postdoctoral training from the National Institutes of Health. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of immune defense against viruses at the mucosal surfaces, and the development of mucosal vaccine strategies. She is the co-Lead Investigator of the Yale COVID-19 Recovery Study, which aims to determine the changes in the immune response of people with long COVID after vaccination. Dr. Iwasaki also leads multiple other studies to interrogate the pathobiology of long COVID, both in patients, and through developing animal models of long COVID. Dr. Iwasaki was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2018, to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019, to the European Molecular Biology Organization in 2021, and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021.

    Appointments

    Other Departments & Organizations

    • Cancer Immunology
    • Center for Infection and Immunity
    • Center for RNA Science and Medicine
    • CPIRT - Center for Pulmonary Injury, Inflammation, Repair and Therapeutics
    • Dean's Workshops
    • Dermatology
    • Diabetes Research Center
    • Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
    • Human and Translational Immunology Program
    • Immunobiology
    • Immunology
    • Iwasaki Lab
    • K12 Calabresi Immuno-Oncology Training Program (IOTP)
    • Microbiology
    • Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development
    • Molecular Virology
    • Rheumatic Diseases Research Core
    • Virology Laboratories
    • WHRY Pilot Project Program Investigators
    • Women's Health Research at Yale
    • Yale Cancer Center
    • Yale Center for Immuno-Oncology
    • Yale Center for Research on Aging (Y-Age)
    • Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
    • Yale School of Public Health
    • Yale Ventures
    • Yale WRHR Advisory Committee
    • Yale-UPR Integrated HIV Basic and Clinical Sciences Initiative

    Education & Training

    PhD
    University of Toronto (1998)

    Research

    Overview

    In the Iwasaki Laboratory, we focus on understanding how viruses infect the host through the mucosal surfaces to cause diseases, how the immune system deals with viral infections within these local tissues, how acute infections lead to long-term diseases, and to use such insights to design vaccines and therapeutics against acute & chronic viral diseases, post-viral diseases, autoimmunity, and cancer. We study immune responses to a variety of viruses including herpes simplex viruses, Zika virus, influenza viruses, rhinoviruses, and retroviruses - with the most recent focus on SARS-CoV-2. Our studies have led to the development of mucosal vaccines that can prevent infection, transmission, and recurrent diseases.

    Our research addresses mechanisms of innate immune recognition of viruses and initiation of adaptive antiviral immunity, particularly at the natural site of virus encounter at the mucosal surfaces. Basic insights gained from studying the natural immune protective mechanisms help propel better vaccine designs. On the other hand, when the immune system fails to successfully deal with the pathogens, downstream consequences include the development of infectious diseases, autoimmunity, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. For specific projects being carried out in this laboratory, please click on the links below.

    Medical Research Interests

    Arboviruses; Autophagy; Central Nervous System Viral Diseases; DNA Viruses; Encephalitis, Viral; Herpes Simplex; Immune System; Immunity, Cellular; Immunity, Innate; Inflammasomes; Influenza, Human; Molecular Biology; Pneumonia, Viral; Pregnancy Complications; Proviruses; RNA Viruses; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Tumor Virus Infections

    Public Health Interests

    Vaccines
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      Iwasaki Lab

      View Lab Website

    Research at a Glance

    Yale Co-Authors

    Frequent collaborators of Akiko Iwasaki's published research.

    Publications

    2024

    See All Publications

    Clinical Trials

    Current Trials

    Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

    • honor

      50 over 50 Innovation List

      National AwardForbes
    • honor

      Nakaaki Tsukahara Memorial Award

      International AwardBrain Science Foundation of Japan
    • honor

      Elected President

      National AwardAmerican Association of Immunologists (AAI)
    • honor

      Connecticut Medal of Science

      Regional AwardConnecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
    • honor

      Elected Member of Council

      National AwardHoward Hughes Medical Institute
    See All Achievements

    Get In Touch

    Contacts

    Email
    Academic Office Number
    Lab Number
    Mailing Address

    Immunobiology

    PO Box 208011, 300 Cedar Street

    New Haven, CT 06520

    United States

    Administrative Support

    Locations

    Events

    Jan 202516Thursday