[July 12, 2022: Philadelphia, PA] – Long Kwan Metthew Lam, PhD, has been awarded a two-year inaugural postdoctoral fellowship through the newly established Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases (IIZD) at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet). Lam was selected for his innovative approach to salient scientific questions regarding mammalian immune response within the context of disease transmission.

Under the mentorship of Nilam S. Mangalmurti, MD, a physician-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, Lam will use comparative immunology to decipher the nucleic acid sensing functions of bat, human, and mouse red blood cells to understand vector-borne viruses. The long-term goal is to identify novel methods to reduce cross-species disease transmission.

Awarded his PhD in Molecular Virology and Microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine in 2018, Lam studied the molecular mechanisms of attenuation for the yellow fever virus vaccine strain 17D. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in Mangalmurti’s lab studying red blood cells and their role in inflammatory responses.

“This postdoctoral fellowship is just one of several efforts to sustain emerging science talent and their careers,” said De’Broski R. Herbert, PhD, Presidential Associate Professor, associate professor of Pathobiology, and associate director of global affairs and education at Penn Vet’s Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases. “We are so pleased to select Metthew and support him as he advances vital public health initiatives related to infectious diseases.”

The IIZD postdoctoral fellowship is a new initiative to support basic research while immersing early-career scientists in key aspects of infectious disease research, particularly in the areas of immunology and host-pathogen interactions. Funding supports collaborative, mentored research projects to develop diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines for diseases that can be passed from animals to humans.

About Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet)

Penn Vet’s scientists are a key part of the biomedical community at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), and they bring a valuable veterinary component to the table. Universally recognized for its work in cancer and regenerative medicine, Penn Vet – which lists 16 of its faculty as members of Penn’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine – has long had a close relationship with Penn Medicine. In addition to its strengths in biomedicine, Penn Vet has a distinctive niche in infectious disease research. Leaning into this strength, Penn Vet launched the Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases (IIZD) to bolster Penn’s capacity to understand and develop diagnostics, treatments, vaccines, and cures for diseases that can be passed from animals to humans.