معرفی
James M. Pipas is the Herbert W. and Grace Boyer Professor in Molecular Biology at the University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on viral manipulation of cellular systems and large-scale metagenomic monitoring of ecosystems. Key areas include understanding how polyomaviruses like BKV and JCV cause diseases in immunocompromised patients, and developing tools to surveil viral diversity in environments such as wastewater, mosquitoes, and pollen. He collaborates with Microsoft’s Project Premonition to study viral spread via insect vectors and with Dr. Tia-Lynn Ashman on pollen virome analysis. Pipas earned his Ph.D. in 1975 from Florida State University and has held postdoctoral positions at Baylor College and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine before joining the University of Pittsburgh in 1980.
His research interests span viral pathogenesis, metagenomics, and molecular mechanisms of disease. Projects include identifying viruses in fecal samples and wastewater to map geographic distribution, analyzing blood-feeding mosquitoes as surveillance tools, and exploring the role of interferon pathways in viral persistence. His lab also investigates the genetic basis of hepatocellular carcinoma and the evolutionary history of polyomaviruses.
Publications highlight advancements in viral detection methods, polyomavirus-host interactions, and genomic sequencing of novel viruses in diverse ecosystems. Collaborations emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to global health challenges, such as early detection of emerging pathogens through environmental sampling.
