Daniel Blanco-Melo

Dr. Daniel Blanco-Melo is an Assistant Professor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, holding dual appointments in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division and Public Health Sciences Division. He is also a member of the Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center (TDS IRC).

• PhD in Biological Sciences (Rockefeller University, 2016)
• Postdoctoral Fellow (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 2016-2021)
• BS in Genomics (UNAM, Mexico, 2008)

His research focuses on evolutionary virology, analyzing how animal hosts and viruses co-evolve through molecular biology, genomics, and bioinformatics. Key themes include:

• Antiviral immune strategy evolution
• Paleovirology of ancient pathogens
• Computational modeling of host-virus interactions
• Translational therapeutic design

Recent work explores Influenza A virus NS1 protein dynamics and cross-species host response prioritization. Awards include Science News' SN10: Scientists to Watch (2024) and CZI funding (2023). The lab actively engages in international collaborations and data science integration.