Martin Ferris

Martin Ferris is an Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of immune responses to viral and bacterial pathogens using genetically diverse mouse models. He leads the Ferris Lab, which develops genomic datasets to identify variants influencing immunological differences. His work integrates computational biology, systems genetics, and experimental virology to study host-pathogen interactions.

Dr. Ferris holds affiliations with the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program and the Genetics and Molecular Biology Program at UNC. His lab has contributed to identifying genetic loci regulating host responses to SARS-CoV, influenza, and Ebola virus infections. He has secured grants including NIH awards for studies on tuberculosis susceptibility and Ebola pathogenesis.

Research interests include viral transmission dynamics, host genetic variation in immune tolerance, and systems-level analyses of infectious diseases. Notable findings include the role of Mx1 and Ticam2 genes in coronavirus pathogenesis and the discovery of CC027 mice as peanut allergy models. His lab maintains collaborations with virology and immunology groups worldwide, advancing translational research in infectious disease genetics.

• Over 50 peer-reviewed publications since 2007.
• Principal investigator on NIH R01 grants (e.g., EBIC-101, AI123456).
• Mentor in the Relational Leadership Training Program for junior faculty.

Active in mouse genetics initiatives like the Collaborative Cross and MiniMUGA array development, he promotes rigorous genetic resource utilization. Current projects explore host genetic determinants of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination responses and age-related immunosenescence.