Karen Mossman

Karen Mossman is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, with expertise in molecular virology and cancer immunotherapy. She has held senior administrative roles, including Vice President Research and Chair of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster.

• Research Focus: Innate immunity, tumor immunology, and virology, particularly on type I interferon responses, oncolytic viruses, and SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.
• Education: HonBSc from the University of Guelph, PhD from the University of Alberta, and postdoctoral training in molecular virology.

Her work bridges basic and pre-clinical research, with licensed technologies in oncolytic virus development. Recent studies explore viral replication mechanisms, immune checkpoint modulation, and cross-species viral interactions in bats.

She has authored numerous high-impact publications on SARS-CoV-2, including genome assembly workflows, heart-on-a-chip models, and complement-mediated neutralization trends. Her 2024 article in Trends in Immunology highlights bat immune adaptations.

• Scientific Recognition: 2021 Top 100 Canada’s Most Powerful Women (WXN), 2024 ICIS Honorary Lifetime Membership Award.