Personnel
CURRENT
Michael Letko, PhD.
Principal Investigator. Dr. Michael Letko is a molecular virologist studying the mechanisms underlying viral zoonosis. Dr. Letko received his PhD. from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York where he completed his thesis on viral-host co-evolution in lentiviruses and restriction factors. During his post-doctoral fellowship at the NIH’s Rocky Mountain Laboratory campus in Montana, Dr. Letko gained an appreciation for bat-borne emerging infectious diseases and focused his research primarily on coronaviruses. Today, Dr. Letko’s laboratory of functional viromics combines synthetic biology and molecular engineering to assess if and how uncharacterized viruses from the ever-growing virome can infect human cells. His lab is building new tools to explore and study a range of emerging viruses from orthohantavirus to coronavirus across a wide breadth of host reservoir species and in vitro model systems.
FACULTY PAGE
Feature in Wired Magazine
FACULTY PAGE
Feature in Wired Magazine
Victoria Jefferson, PhD.
Post-doctoral researcher. Victoria earned her BS and MS in biochemistry and her PhD in molecular biology at Mississippi State University. She is a virologist whose past research is greatly influenced by her fascination with infectious disease and genetics. Her dissertation elaborated on novel coding elements she characterized in the Bovine Herpesvirus 1 genome, but she also has experience with several other viral and bacterial pathogens that contribute to Bovine Respiratory Disease. Her virology experience and her knowledge of computational biology and evolution led to her recruitment in studying the circulation of Bovine Coronavirus strains in dairy cattle. Generally, she aims to contribute to the perpetually relevant subject of virus evolution, and particularly, to how viruses continue to shape our world.
Ariel Endlich-Frazier, MS
Graduate Researcher. Ariel has a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Smith College and a Masters of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Much of her previous research experiences focus on understanding the basic biology of highly pathogenic viruses, including Ebola, Nipah and Lassa. Her most recent industry experience utilized microorganisms as synthetic biology tools for developing therapeutic antibodies. Ariel’s current work in the Laboratory for Functional Veromics focuses on Coronavirus entry. She believes this work will impact our understanding of how viruses cross species barriers, leading to better methods for prevention and treatment of emerging pandemic viruses. When not in the lab, Ariel enjoys reading classic science fiction and exploring the great outdoors with her family.
FORMER
Mitra Mazinani, PhD.
Research Assistant. Mitra is a specialist in cellular and molecular biology. She holds a deep fascination for the realm of viruses and microorganisms, delighting in the challenge of deciphering their complexities. Throughout her career, she has made significant contributions to both academic and industrial sectors, with a particular focus on inflammation, infectious diseases, and the development of innovative delivery systems. Motivated by an unending curiosity, Mitra diligently seeks to expand her understanding of viruses and microorganisms, aiming to make significant advancements in the field of biology.