Nels Elde

Nels Elde is a Professor at the University of Utah and an Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator. His research focuses on host-pathogen interactions, leveraging evolutionary genomics to study molecular arms races at protein interfaces.

• Institution: University of Utah
• Department: Human Genetics
• Lab: Elde Lab

Research interests include:

• Identifying genetic resistance mechanisms against infectious diseases via phylogenetic and experimental approaches
• Exploring model organism platforms for virus discovery and host adaptation rules
• Decoding molecular conflict dynamics driving cellular complexity
• Analyzing viral gene capture and host retrotransposition events

Recent articles highlight evolutionary constraints in coronavirus accessory genes, antiviral TRIM family ligases in reptiles, and host-pathogen coevolution in glycan recognition systems.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Labs and teams at the University of Utah integrate computational and experimental frameworks with personnel including Postdoctoral Fellows, Graduate Students, and Technical Staff.