Hugh Mason

Hugh Mason is an Associate Professor at the School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University. His research focuses on plant-based vaccine development, viral vector systems, and recombinant protein production. He has pioneered the use of plants for producing edible vaccines, including breakthrough studies on hepatitis B and norovirus antigens.

Education: Postdoctoral training at Texas A&M University (1987–1992), Ph.D. in Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of Arizona (1986), and B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Austin (1976).

Research Interests: Development of plant-derived vaccines using geminiviral vectors, oral immunization strategies, and antibody production in plants. Key contributions include:

• Pioneering plant-based expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (1992)
• First human trials of edible vaccines (1998–2005)
• Development of rapid transient expression systems using bean yellow dwarf virus (2003)

Grants & Funding: Major support from NIH-NIAID, DARPA, and industry partnerships. Active projects include Ebola immune complex vaccines and universal vaccine platforms.

Labs & Teams: Lead researcher in ASU’s Biodesign Institute labs, collaborating with institutions such as the University of Arizona and Pfizer on vaccine development initiatives.