Craig B. Wilen, MD, PhD

Craig B. Wilen, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine and a physician-scientist studying how RNA viruses infect cells, evade immunity, and cause disease. His research spans noroviruses, coronaviruses, and emerging viruses with pandemic potential. His discoveries include identifying CD300lf as the first known norovirus receptor and establishing intestinal tuft cells as a physiological target of mouse norovirus (MNV). His laboratory has since defined mechanisms that allow norovirus to persist despite antiviral immune responses and demonstrated that IgA antibodies can prevent norovirus infection in mice, informing new approaches to vaccination and antibody therapy. His group also identifies cellular factors required for coronavirus infection and investigates the barriers that govern transmission of animal viruses to humans. Together, these studies aim to improve assessment of emerging viral threats and guide the development of antiviral therapies and vaccines. Dr. Wilen practices clinical pathology on the clinical chemistry service at Yale New Haven Hospital and serves as Medical Director of the Immune Monitoring Core Facility. He earned his A.B. in Biology and Economics from Washington University in St. Louis and his MD and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed residency training in clinical pathology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and postdoctoral research at Washington University School of Medicine. He was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 2025.

https://wilenlab.com