Jonathan O. Rayner

Dr. Jonathan O. Rayner is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of South Alabama. He holds a PhD in Microbiology from Colorado State University (1998) and completed postdoctoral research at the CDC and US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. His research focuses on emerging viral pathogens (e.g., alphaviruses, flaviviruses, coronaviruses) and antiviral development. Key areas include vector-borne disease surveillance in Alabama, SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, and gender differences in viral infections. He leads the Select Agent Program and oversees BSL3/ABSL3 laboratory operations. Collaborations include tick-borne disease studies with regional health agencies.

Education: Ph.D., Microbiology, Colorado State University (1998)
Research Interests: Virology, antiviral therapeutics, zoonotic pathogens, vector competence, and infectious disease surveillance.
Labs/Teams: Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (LID) at USA, Select Agent Program, Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases.