Jeffrey Michael Bethony

Jeffrey Michael Bethony is Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine with a secondary appointment as Professor of Epidemiology at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

His educational background includes a BA from State University of New York, Binghamton (1985), MS from State University of New York, Buffalo (1997), and PhD from State University of New York, Buffalo (2000).

Dr. Bethony's primary research focuses on biomarker discovery for diseases and cancers including Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) and Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), with particular emphasis on microRNA (miRNA) research. His lab actively investigates miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers, leveraging their stability in circulating matrices like plasma and serum. He also leads significant work in vaccine development for neglected tropical diseases, particularly for human hookworm infection and schistosomiasis, collaborating with the Sabin Vaccine Institute through the HOOKVAC program.

His laboratory develops immunological, cellular, and serological assays to evaluate vaccine candidates under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) compliance. The Bethony Lab supports multiple Phase 1 clinical trials in the United States and Brazil, with particular focus on potency assay development for vaccine candidates.

Dr. Bethony maintains extensive international collaborations, especially with Khon Kaen University in Thailand for liver fluke and cholangiocarcinoma research, and with institutions in Brazil for schistosomiasis research. His work extends to microbiome studies related to Opisthorchis viverrini infection, Burkitt Lymphoma investigations, and potential collaborations with the AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource.

His research program addresses significant global health challenges, particularly in resource-poor regions of Southeast Asia and Latin America, with emphasis on early detection methods and vaccine development for diseases causing substantial mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) loss.