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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