Jennifer Fulcher

Jennifer Fulcher is a faculty investigator at the University of California, Los Angeles, holding an appointment within the David Geffen School of Medicine. Her research integrates infectious-disease immunology, microbiome science, and molecular epidemiology to understand host–pathogen interactions in HIV, SARS-CoV-2, and substance-use-associated diseases.

Education & Training:
No explicit educational details were provided in the source text.

Research Focus:

• Mechanisms by which the oral and gut microbiome drive systemic inflammation in HIV.
• Multi-dimensional saliva-based diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2 infection, infectivity, and immunity.
• Innate immune crosstalk (NK cell–monocyte interactions) in severe COVID-19.
• Impact of alcohol- and methamphetamine-use disorders on gut microbiota and liver inflammation.
• Mucosal immune responses to STIs (Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis) in key populations.
• Machine-learning approaches leveraging omics data to predict COVID-19 severity.

Publication Trends:
From 2021 to 2025, Fulcher’s output has concentrated on translational studies of infection and immunity, with a pivot during 2020-2022 toward COVID-19 pathogenesis, vaccination, and diagnostics. Recent work (2024-2025) returns to HIV-microbiome interactions while expanding into substance-use immunology.

Scientific Awards:
No specific awards, fellowships, or honors were mentioned in the provided text.

Collaborations & Teams:
Fulcher collaborates extensively with senior UCLA faculty (Aldrovandi, Yang, Gorbach, Rimoin) and cross-institutional consortia, indicating active participation in multi-disciplinary teams spanning microbiology, immunology, and clinical epidemiology.