Helen C. Su

Helen C. Su, M.D., Ph.D., is a Senior Investigator and Chief of the Human Immunological Diseases Section within the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. She has been at NIAID since 2007, starting as a tenure-track clinical investigator and achieving tenure in 2016.

Her educational background includes:

• M.D. and Ph.D. from Brown University
• Pediatrics training at St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University
• Subspecialty training in allergy and immunology at NIAID

Dr. Su's research focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms of human immune dysregulation in inherited immunodeficiencies and autoimmune diseases. Her work integrates clinical immunology, genetics, and virology to investigate defects causing susceptibility to viral infections, abnormal lymphocyte accumulation, and autoimmunity. Key areas include skin antiviral immunity, respiratory virus susceptibility, and type I interferon pathways.

Analysis of her publications reveals consistent themes in identifying genetic and immunological defects underlying severe viral infections. Major discoveries include DOCK8 deficiency causing cytothripsis in skin-resident T cells, MDA5 deficiency leading to rhinovirus susceptibility, and autoantibodies against type I interferons in life-threatening COVID-19. Her research bridges molecular mechanisms with clinical phenotypes through integrated genetic and immune assessments.

Dr. Su leads the Human Immunological Diseases Section and co-leads the NIAID IRP COVID-19 Consortium and COVID Human Genetic Effort Consortium. Supported by NIH intramural funding, she mentors trainees and collaborates internationally to study immunological diseases. Her team conducts natural history studies at the NIH Clinical Center, investigating patients with poorly characterized immune disorders.

Her laboratory maintains a broad international network for studying genetic factors in viral infections, with ongoing research focused on molecular regulation of lymphocytes for antiviral immunity. Current projects include investigations into respiratory virus infections and genetic bases of severe viral diseases through clinical evaluations and immune function assessments.