Sonja M. Best

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Sonja M. Best is a renowned virologist and a leading authority in the field of virology. She is best known for her extensive research on flaviviruses and other arboviruses, and their interactions with the host immune system.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Sonja M. Best was born in Australia, where she developed an early interest in biology. She pursued her undergraduate studies in biology at the University of Queensland, where she graduated with honors. She then moved to the United States for her doctoral studies, earning her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Career and Research[edit | edit source]

Following her Ph.D., Best completed her postdoctoral training at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories, part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). She then joined the NIAID as a staff scientist, where she has made significant contributions to the field of virology.

Best's research primarily focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which flaviviruses and other arboviruses evade the host immune response. She has made significant contributions to the understanding of how these viruses manipulate host cell processes to establish persistent infections. Her work has implications for the development of vaccines and therapeutics for diseases caused by these viruses.

Honors and Awards[edit | edit source]

Best's contributions to the field of virology have been recognized with several awards and honors. She is a recipient of the American Society for Microbiology's ICAAC Young Investigator Award and the NIAID Merit Award.

Selected Publications[edit | edit source]

Best has authored and co-authored numerous scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. Some of her most cited works include:

  • "Flavivirus NS5 inhibits interferon-alpha signaling by blocking STAT1 and STAT2 activation" (Journal of Virology, 2005)
  • "West Nile virus: immunity and pathogenesis" (Viruses, 2011)

See Also[edit | edit source]


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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD