Ian Hewson

Ian Hewson is a Professor of Microbiology at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He specializes in marine virology, microbial ecology, and the impacts of pathogens on marine ecosystems. His research focuses on mass mortality events in marine organisms, such as the 2022 Caribbean sea urchin die-off (caused by a scuticociliate parasite) and North Pacific sea star wasting disease. Hewson directs undergraduate studies in Marine Biology and teaches courses on marine diseases and ocean studies.

He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Botany from the University of Queensland (2000) and a Ph.D. in Marine Environmental Biology from the University of Southern California (2005). Postdoctoral work at the University of California, Santa Cruz (2005–2008) preceded his tenure at Cornell. His lab, the Cornell Marine Mass Mortality Lab (CM3L), investigates the ecological and microbiological drivers of marine epidemics, emphasizing conservation-relevant outcomes.

Key research interests include viral ecology in marine invertebrates, microbiome dynamics at animal-water interfaces, and the role of environmental stressors in disease emergence. Recent findings highlight the transglobal spread of parasites and the importance of ambient microbial communities in pathogen virulence. Hewson collaborates widely, contributing to efforts to combat marine biodiversity loss through ecosystem surveillance and disease mitigation strategies.

Notable grants include funding from Cornell Atkinson to study ecological impacts of anthropogenic changes. His work has been featured in Science Advances and Annual Reviews in Marine Science, with a focus on viral and microbial drivers of marine ecosystem health.