Gaya Amarasinghe

Gaya Amarasinghe is Alumni Endowed Professor of Pathology and Immunology, Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Professor of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She is affiliated with the Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine and the Roy and Diana Vagelos Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences (DBBS), where she participates in the Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology; Immunology; and Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis programs. She is also associated with the Institute for Public Health and the Bursky Center for Human Immunology & Immunotherapy Programs (CHiiPs).

Dr. Amarasinghe received her BS in Biochemistry from City College of New York/CUNY (1997) and her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (2001). Her educational background provided the foundation for her interdisciplinary research approach spanning biochemistry, structural biology, and virology.

Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions, particularly at the host-viral interface during viral hemorrhagic fever infections. Dr. Amarasinghe's laboratory uses a multidisciplinary approach that spans length and time scales to characterize how viruses interact with host immune systems. Her work specifically investigates how viruses like Ebola evade innate immune responses, with emphasis on viral components such as VP35 and their interactions with host factors. She has made significant contributions to understanding viral immune evasion mechanisms, particularly how viruses block interferon signaling pathways.

Analysis of Dr. Amarasinghe's publication record reveals a strong focus on viral pathogenesis, structural biology of host-pathogen interactions, and development of diagnostic tools for viral hemorrhagic fevers. Her research spans virology, immunology, structural biology, and biomedical engineering, with particular emphasis on Ebola virus, other filoviruses, and emerging viral pathogens. Recent work shows increasing interest in developing diagnostic tools for viral hemorrhagic fevers and understanding host factors involved in viral entry and pathogenesis.

Dr. Amarasinghe has trained numerous students and postdoctoral fellows, creating a research environment that values equity, inclusiveness, and independent scientific inquiry within a team-based setting. Her mission is to train the next generation of biochemists and biophysicists while solving challenging questions at the host-pathogen interface.

Her laboratory comprises a diverse team of researchers including staff scientists, postdoctoral research associates, research technicians, MD/PhD students, PhD students, and undergraduate researchers. This collaborative environment supports her multidisciplinary research program that interrogates biological systems from physical and structural perspectives at molecular, cellular, and organismic levels.