Rebecca Lamason

Rebecca Lamason is an Associate Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), affiliated with the Department of Biology within the School of Science. Her research focuses on host-pathogen interactions, specifically investigating how intracellular bacterial pathogens like Rickettsia parkeri and Listeria monocytogenes hijack host cell processes to promote infection. She employs cellular, molecular, genetic, biochemical, and biophysical approaches to elucidate pathogenesis mechanisms. Lamason earned her BS from Millersville University (2002) and PhD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2011).

Key awards include the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (2015) and a Jane Coffin Childs Fellowship (2025). Recent lab highlights include grants for studying rickettsial nuclear invasion and structural biology of Type IV secretion systems. Notable students include Cassandra Vondrak, Hannah Margolis, and Clara Zhu. The Lamason Lab collaborates with institutions like the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and the Jane Coffin Childs Fund.