Hector Aguilar

Hector Aguilar, PhD, is a Professor of Virology at Cornell University and will become Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics (MIMG) at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and College of Life Sciences starting July 1, 2025. His career spans leadership roles in academia, including Director of Graduate Studies at WSU and Associate Vice-Provost for Research at Cornell.

• BS: Biochemical Engineering, Instituto Tecnologico de Tepic, Mexico
• MS: Biology, California State University, Los Angeles
• PhD: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California
• Post-doctoral training: Virology at UCLA under Dr. Benhur Lee

His research focuses on viral cell entry mechanisms, glycoprotein function, and translational approaches for vaccine/antiviral development. He has pioneered the use of advanced technologies like Raman Spectroscopy, Super-resolution Microscopy, and Flow Virometry in virology research.

Dr. Aguilar has held significant leadership roles in academic governance, diversity initiatives, and NIH study sections. He will bring extensive experience to UCLA, including chairing 18 PhD thesis committees and mentoring numerous trainees.