Sean C. Murphy

Sean C. Murphy, MD, PhD is an Adjunct Associate Professor in Microbiology and Associate Professor in Laboratory Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He serves as Assistant Director of Clinical Microbiology and holds key leadership positions including Director of the Clinical Microbiology Division at Seattle Children's Hospital and Director of the Malaria Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory. His work bridges clinical microbiology, diagnostic development, and malaria research.

Dr. Murphy earned his MD and PhD in Microbiology/Immunology from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2001-2008), a Post-graduate Diploma in African Studies with Honors from the University of Cape Town (2000), and a BS in Microbiology with Honors from Iowa State University (1996-1999). He completed his Clinical Pathology Residency and served as Chief Resident in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Washington (2008-2011).

Dr. Murphy's research program focuses on the immune response to complex infectious diseases, particularly malaria infection by Plasmodium parasites. His laboratory develops novel high-throughput T cell screening technologies to study poly-specific T cell repertoires induced by Plasmodium sporozoites using mouse models. The group explores synthetic biology-based T cell vaccines and novel methods to induce broadly protective immune responses against malaria. In collaboration with the Seattle Biomed Malaria Clinical Trials Center, Dr. Murphy conducts controlled human malaria infection studies to identify effective drug and vaccine candidates.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on malaria immunology, vaccine development, and diagnostic test improvement. The research spans from basic science investigations of Plasmodium liver stage development to clinical trials of monoclonal antibodies for malaria prevention and epidemiological studies of malaria transmission. His work shows increasing collaboration across disciplines including immunology, molecular biology, epidemiology, and clinical medicine.

Dr. Murphy serves as a clinical investigator in Phase I/II studies at the Seattle Malaria Clinical Trials Center, the only West Coast-based controlled human malaria infection facility purpose-built in the US. His quantitative reverse transcription PCR assays for malaria detection are recognized as some of the most sensitive and robust molecular diagnostic assays worldwide, allowing detection of malaria parasites 3-4 days earlier than conventional blood smears.

He is actively involved in promoting quality improvement initiatives for external quality assurance among a network of controlled human malaria infection centers across the US, Europe, Africa, and Australia. His work extends beyond malaria to include prosthetic joint infections, burn injury recovery, and age-friendly care for older adults, demonstrating a broad commitment to improving health outcomes through diagnostic excellence and translational research.