Susan C. Baker

Susan C. Baker, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine. With over three decades of research experience, her work focuses on coronavirus replication mechanisms and host immune response modulation.

• PhD from Vanderbilt University
• Leading expert in coronavirus pathogenesis
• Key contributor to Kawasaki Disease etiology research

Her coronavirus research examines:

• RNA polymerase polyprotein processing
• Interferon antagonism by viral proteins
• Live attenuated vaccine development
• Endoribonuclease function in immune evasion
• Protease stability and pathogenesis
• Double membrane vesicle formation

Recent publication trends show:

• 2025 studies on necroptosis inhibition
• 2024 work on coronavirus evolution
• 2023 analysis of SARS-CoV-2 mutations
• 2020-2018 investigations of interferon antagonism
• 2019 structural-functional studies of replication proteins
• 2017 research on viral protein interactions

The laboratory investigates both fundamental coronavirus biology and translational applications for vaccine development, maintaining active collaborations with infectious disease experts like Dr. Anne Rowley in Kawasaki Disease research.