Ileana M. Cristea

Ileana M. Cristea is the Henry L. Hillman Professor of Molecular Biology and an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. She serves as the Director of Graduate Studies and leads the Cristea Lab, which focuses on the interplay between virology and proteomics. Her research aims to understand cellular defense mechanisms against viruses and viral strategies for immune evasion.

Dr. Cristea's research interests lie at the interface of virology, proteomics, and molecular biology. Her lab investigates dynamic host-virus interactions, including protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions during infection, DNA sensing in the nucleus, innate immune responses to herpesviruses, the role of deacetylases (HDACs and SIRTs) in viral infections, and global remodeling of cellular organelles. She develops and applies advanced proteomic tools integrated with genomics, microscopy, and bioinformatics to study these processes.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on herpesviruses and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), exploring mechanisms of viral immune evasion, host defense via DNA sensors like IFI16, organelle remodeling, and targeted proteomic assays. The research leverages cutting-edge mass spectrometry and multi-omics approaches to uncover fundamental biological insights with therapeutic implications.

Her scientific achievements have been recognized with several awards:

• Bordoli Prize, British Mass Spectrometry Society (2001)
• NIDA Avant-Garde Director Pioneer Award (2008)
• Human Frontiers Science Program Young Investigator Award (2009)
• Early Career Award in Mass Spectrometry, ACS NJ Section (2011)
• American Society for Mass Spectrometry Research Award (2012)
• Molecular & Cellular Proteomics Lectureship (2013)
• Mallinckrodt Scholar Award (2015)

Dr. Cristea is actively involved in mentoring and education. She advises PhD students, including Ji Woo Park. She is a head instructor for the summer Proteomics Course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and has taught workshops at major conferences (ASMS, HUPO). She holds leadership roles in professional organizations, serving on the Executive Board of US-HUPO and chairing the Infectious Disease initiative of HUPO World. She also serves on the editorial boards of several high-impact journals, including Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, Proteomics, and Journal of Proteome Research.

The Cristea Lab operates as a multidisciplinary research team, fostering collaborations with groups worldwide. Their work is supported by partnerships with organizations like the CHDI Foundation (Huntington's disease) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (organelle remodeling). The lab continues to develop innovative proteomic and computational tools, such as machine-learning pipelines for predicting protein interactions.