VCOM Louisiana Research Day Program Book 2024

Keynote Speaker

Jonathan Auguste, PhD Associate Professor of Arbovirology Virginia Tech

A. Jonathan Auguste, PhD, is an associate professor in the field of Arbovirology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Auguste currently serves as the director for the Fralin, BSL3/ACL3 labs, and he is the co-director of the Infectious Diseases Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program. Auguste’s research focuses on arbovirus surveillance, understanding the mechanisms by which insect-specific viruses are unable replicate in vertebrate cells, and elucidating the mechanisms by which these viruses preclude super-infection of pathogenic flaviviruses in vivo. He is also developing novel viral-vectored vaccine platforms against important arboviruses within the Flavivirus and Alphavirus genera. More recently, he has focused his efforts developing new animal models and creating mRNA vaccines for endemic Orthobunyaviruses that are important to public and veterinary health. He has also contributed to the development of several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and therapeutics, including one candidate that is in use in Argentina. Auguste has a very active research program and is funded by an NIH R01

and R21 and also by the USDA and HHMI. Auguste has authored or co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed articles on arbovirus research. He also runs a relatively large program and his lab contains several graduate students, postdocs and technicians. He is very committed to graduate education and is currently serving on advisory committees for 13 graduate students at Virginia Tech only.

Auguste is also an expert salsa dancer.

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