Daniel Blanco-Melo, PhD
Assistant Professor
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutch
Joint Assistant Professor, Herbold Computational Biology Program
Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutch
Member
Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center (TDS IRC), Fred Hutch
Dr. Daniel Blanco-Melo studies the biological mechanisms that animals have deployed throughout evolution to combat viral infections. He explores how changes in our antiviral strategies are driven by the constant struggle with past and current viral infections. The Blanco-Melo Lab’s research is focused on the many complex biochemical processes that are activated within cells upon infection. His group studies important human viruses, such as influenza A and SARS-CoV-2, as well as ancient viral pathogens and the impact of those past agents on the evolution of animal immunity. Dr. Blanco-Melo’s lab uses a combination of molecular biology, genetics and advanced computational techniques to better define and exploit our highly evolved antiviral responses, which can help in the design of drugs against both current and emerging viral threats.
Education
2016-2021 – Postdoctoral Fellow, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
2016 – PhD in Biological Sciences, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY.
2008 – BS in Genomics, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), Cuernavaca, MO, Mexico.
Research Interests
Mechanisms and evolution of animal antiviral strategies
Viral strategies for immune evasion
Paleovirology and virus evolution
"Our ultimate goal is to uncover clues to better ways to stop viral diseases as varied as HIV/AIDS, influenza A and COVID-19."
— Dr. Daniel Blanco-Melo