Mehul S. Suthar, PhD
Director, Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine
His laboratory takes a multidisciplinary approach, integrating virology, immunology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, and systems biology to study host-virus interactions. His work aims to uncover how the immune system detects, responds to, and controls viral infections while investigating viral mechanisms that evade immune defenses.
Dr. Suthar has published extensively on innate immunity, virus-host interactions, and antibody neutralization. His work has significantly contributed to the understanding of how the immune system can be harnessed to develop effective vaccines and antiviral therapies. He is also involved in studying the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 and the development of COVID-19 vaccines.
Throughout his career, Dr. Suthar has made significant contributions to understanding virus-host interactions, particularly in emerging and pandemic viruses. In 2023, he was named among the world’s most influential scientists by the Institute for Scientific Information. He has been recognized for his contributions to the field with numerous citations and a high h-index (73).
Dr. Suthar earned his PhD in Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Washington before joining Emory University.
Beyond his research, Dr. Suthar is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and fostering collaborative research initiatives to advance the understanding of viral pathogenesis and immunity. His dedication extends to training future leaders in immunology, virology, and public health while driving research that informs vaccine and therapeutic strategies for infectious diseases.
Dr. Mehul S. Suthar is a tenured Associate Professor at Emory University, holding appointments in the Department of Pediatrics and the Emory Vaccine Center. He also serves as an affiliate researcher at the Emory National Primate Research Center and is the Director of the Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines (CCIV).
Dr. Suthar is also an Associate Professor at the Emory Vaccine Center and the Department of Pediatrics at Emory School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding the innate immune responses to viral infections, particularly how the RIG-I-like receptors detect and respond to viral pathogens. His lab uses emerging RNA viruses, such as West Nile virus, to dissect the host immune response and identify mechanisms that regulate immunity to Flavivirus infections.