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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 at the Yale University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of immune defense against viruses at mucosal surfaces, which are a major site of entry for infectious agents. Professor Iwasaki received her Ph.D. in Immunology from the University of Toronto and completed her postdoctoral training with the National Institutes of Health before joining Yale’s faculty in 2000. She has been a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator since 2014. Professor Iwasaki has received many awards and honors including the Keio Medical Science Prize in 2025, Forbes 50 over 50 Innovation 2024, TIME 100 Most Influential People 2024, TIME 100 HEALTH Most Influential People Affecting Global Health 2024, and the Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research 2023. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2018, to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019, to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021 and was appointed President of American Associations of Immunologists (AAI) in 2023. Professor Iwasaki has been a leading scientific voice during the COVID-19 pandemic and is also well known for her Twitter advocacy on women and underrepresented minorities in the science and medicine fields. She was named to the 2023 STATUS list of the ultimate list of leaders in life sciences. Professor Iwasaki is the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity and is at the forefront of several long COVID investigations including the Mount-Sinai Yale Long COVID study, Yale LISTEN study, and Yale Paxlovid trial.

    Last Updated on November 04, 2025.

    Appointments

    Other Departments & Organizations

    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

    Research at a Glance

    Yale Co-Authors

    Frequent collaborators of Akiko Iwasaki's published research.

    Publications

    2025

    See All Publications

    Clinical Trials

    Current Trials

    Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

    Featured

    • honor

      Keio Medical Science Prize

      11/04/2025International AwardKeio University
    • honor

      Great Immigrant, Great American

      06/26/2025National AwardCarnegie Corporation
    • honor

      50 over 50 Innovation List

      08/07/2024National AwardForbes
    • honor

      TIME100 Health

      05/01/2024International AwardTIME
    • honor

      TIME 100 HEALTH Most Influential People Affecting Global Health

      04/17/2024International AwardTIME
    View full list of achievements

    Honors

    • honor

      Honorary Degree Recipient, Feinstein Academy of Scholars

      05/21/2025Regional AwardElmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine
    • honor

      Inaugural ME/CFS Catalyst Award

      05/12/2025National AwardSolve M.E.
    • honor

      Peter Kotanko Award on Science & Humanity

      01/26/2025National AwardFresenius Medical Care
    • honor

      Temerty Faculty of Medicine Alumni Impact Award

      11/25/2024International AwardUniversity of Toronto
    • honor

      CVR Sir Michael Stoker Award

      09/12/2024International AwardMedical Research Council, University of Glasgow, Scotland
    View full list of honors

    Get In Touch

    Contacts

    Email
    Lab Number
    Mailing Address

    Immunobiology

    PO Box 208011, 300 Cedar Street

    New Haven, CT 06520

    United States

    Administrative Support

    Locations

    • The Anlyan Center

      Academic Office

      300 Cedar Street, Ste Suite 655B

      New Haven, CT 06519

      Get Directions

    Events

    Apr 202623Thursday