Emerging viruses pose continuing threats to global health. Most of these agents are first transmitted to humans through exposure to zoonotic reservoirs or the bite of infected arthropod vectors. Our lab uses methods in structural biology, immunology, and molecular virology to study the surface envelope glycoprotein of these viruses. These proteins bind to host cell receptors and are also the targets of antibodies elicited by natural infection or immunization. Our long-term goal is to leverage this information to generate the next generation of vaccines or antibody-based therapies that broadly protect against emerging viruses before they cause large outbreaks.

Jonathan Abraham is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining the faculty at Harvard, he completed MD-PhD training at Harvard Medical School in the laboratories of Dr Hyeryun Choe and Stephen C Harrison, where he studied mechanisms of host cell binding by New World hemorrhagic fever arenaviruses. He then completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and fellowship in Infectious Diseases in the Mass General Brigham combined program. He is also the recipient of an NIH Director’s Early Independence Award and a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award for Medical Scientists. Jonathan was named an HHMI invistigator in 2024.
 

Abraham Lab