Raffi Van Aroian

Raffi Van Aroian is a Professor at UMass Chan Medical School, affiliated with multiple departments including Microbiology, RNA Therapeutics Institute, and Immunology and Microbiology Program. His research focuses on parasitic nematodes and bacterial toxins, aiming to develop novel anthelmintics for soil-transmitted helminths affecting over 2 billion people globally. He also investigates host-parasite interactions for autoimmune disease control and uses Caenorhabditis elegans to study pore-forming toxins.

• PhD in Biology, California Institute of Technology
• Bachelor's in Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Aroian's work addresses the inadequacy of current deworming drugs by discovering compounds with superior efficacy and affordability. His lab explores parasite resistance mechanisms and immune modulation, while his studies on bacterial toxins have implications for pathogens like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. Recent publications highlight high-throughput drug screening, Cry protein engineering, and parasite survival strategies.

Scientific awards include the Beckman Young Investigator Award (2000-2003), Burroughs Wellcome Fund's New Investigator in Toxicology (2000-2003), and the Hellman Faculty Award (1998-1999). His lab recruits graduate students for projects in protein delivery, anthelmintic discovery, immune modulation, and pore-forming toxin defense mechanisms.