Jeff Yoder

Jeff Yoder is a Professor and Executive Director of the Genetics and Genomics Academy (GGA) at NC State University, within the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Sciences. He holds a B.S. in Biotechnology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from Harvard University, and completed postdoctoral work at the University of South Florida. His research focuses on comparative immunology, particularly how immune systems recognize pathogens while sparing self-cells, with emphasis on genetic diversity and environmental chemical impacts. He employs zebrafish, rodents, and human cells as models, and investigates PFAS-induced immunotoxicology. Yoder’s lab is affiliated with the Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS and the Center for Human Health and the Environment (CHHE).

Research interests span innate immune receptor evolution, genetic diversity in immune function, and the effects of environmental chemicals like PFAS on immune systems. His work integrates genomic, transcriptomic, and biochemical methods, collaborating with experts in ecology, chemistry, and engineering. Yoder’s studies have been funded by NIH, NIEHS, NSF, and other agencies. His lab’s recent focus includes the genetic and functional evolution of innate immune receptors and PFAS-induced immunotoxicity.

Notable contributions include work on the spotted gar genome’s implications for vertebrate evolution, identification of DOCK11 deficiency’s role in systemic inflammation, and development of zebrafish models for metastatic colonization. He leads interdisciplinary projects bridging evolutionary immunology and environmental health, with a particular interest in understanding how genetic and environmental factors shape immune responses across vertebrate lineages.