Shaun Cross

Shaun Cross, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Public Health, where he joined in 2022. His research integrates wet-lab and computational genomics to advance pathogen detection and understanding within the One Health framework.

Education:

• PhD in Microbiology, Colorado State University (2020)
• BS in Biology, Brigham Young University-Idaho (2016)

Research Interests: Dr. Cross focuses on three interconnected areas: Pathogen surveillance for early detection of emerging threats, One Health approaches examining human-animal-environment interfaces, and Vector-borne diseases transmitted by arthropods. His lab develops novel genomic sequencing methods to identify known and unknown microbial agents, with applications in public health and infectious disease control.

Research Output: His recent publications (2020-2023) span virology, genomics, and public health, featuring studies on viral pathogenesis in model systems (e.g., Drosophila), viral myocarditis mechanisms, reovirus virulence factors, and a novel whole-virion COVID-19 vaccine candidate. This body of work demonstrates a strong translational focus from basic discovery to therapeutic interventions.

Teaching and Mentorship: An advocate for active learning and inclusive pedagogy, Dr. Cross emphasizes diverse learning styles and continuous improvement in teaching practices. He is committed to fostering a classroom environment that values individual contributions from varied cultural and academic backgrounds.

Research Environment: Dr. Cross leads a research laboratory at UNMC and is affiliated with the Nebraska Center for Virology, where he collaborates on interdisciplinary projects addressing viral threats through genomic and computational approaches.