Ana Fernandez-Sesma

Ana Fernandez-Sesma is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and the Division of Infectious Diseases within the Department of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her research focuses on understanding how human pathogens, particularly dengue and influenza viruses, interact with and evade the human innate immune system. She leads a dynamic laboratory that investigates viral immune evasion mechanisms in primary human immune cells, including dendritic cells and macrophages.

Her research interests include:

• Viral immune evasion strategies
• Innate immunity to flaviviruses (especially dengue virus)
• Influenza virus-host interactions
• Recombinant virus generation
• Viral adaptation in human and mosquito cells
• Host-pathogen interactions in viral infections

The laboratory's recent publications reflect a strong emphasis on molecular virology and immunology, particularly the mechanisms by which viral proteins such as NS2B/3, NS5, and NS1 interfere with host signaling pathways like STING, RIG-I, and NF-κB to suppress interferon production and promote viral replication. Her work also explores vaccine development and cross-reactive immunity between related viruses like dengue and Zika.

Scientific awards include:

• Best Faculty Mentor to Postdoctoral Fellows, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (2013)

Ana Fernandez-Sesma has mentored a number of junior scientists, including postdoctoral fellows (Ana Maestre, Rafael Fenutria-Aumesquet, Paula Lopez-Monteagudo), junior faculty (Irene Ramos, Sebastian Aguirre), and graduate students (Edwin Carbajal, Jessica Pintado-Silva, Tong-Tong Zhu, Gabe Webb). Her lab has received funding from sources such as DARPA for collaborative projects on viral adaptation. She is actively involved in the Multi-Disciplinary Training Area in Immunology and Microbiology at Mount Sinai and contributes to graduate education and training.

She also oversees research personnel such as Dabeiba Bernal-Rubio and Uma Potla, and has trained past members including Rebecca Hamlin, Kevin Maringer, and Timothy Savage. Her lab maintains a strong presence in the scientific community, with ongoing research into the fundamental biology of emerging viral pathogens and their interactions with the human immune system.