Dr. Louise Moncla is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her laboratory investigates RNA virus emergence, evolution, and transmission dynamics, with particular focus on avian influenza viruses. The Moncla Lab employs cutting-edge genomic epidemiology and computational modeling approaches to study how viruses accumulate mutations enabling cross-species transmission. Research focuses include: Reconstruction of adaptive mutation pathways in avian influenza Global transmission dynamics of HPAI viruses Development of public surveillance tools via Nextstrain platforms Viral phylodynamics across host species barriers Her work has been recognized through the Pew Biomedical Scholars award (2024). The lab maintains several public resources including real-time tracking platforms for H5Nx and H3Nx influenza strains, facilitating open science and collaboration with public health agencies.
Susana Valente is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the University of Florida Scripps Biomedical Research. She also holds professor positions at The Scripps Research Institute and The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute since 2022. Previously, she served as Associate Professor (2017-2022) and Assistant Professor in various departments at Scripps Research from 2009-2017, following a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University. Dr. Valente's research focuses on molecular interactions critical for HIV replication within host cells, with the goal of developing therapeutics that inhibit HIV-1 replication and target the latent viral reservoir. Her work spans virology, molecular biology, and epigenetics, with particular emphasis on transcriptional regulation of HIV-1 and host factors that influence viral latency and reactivation. She has pioneered the 'block-and-lock' strategy for HIV cure research, which aims to permanently silence the latent HIV reservoir. Her laboratory has made significant contributions to understanding how host chromatin remodelers regulate HIV transcription and how compounds like didehydro-cortistatin A (dCA) can suppress viral reactivation. Recent publications demonstrate her continued leadership in identifying novel host factors and developing therapeutic strategies targeting HIV transcription. Dr. Valente has received numerous awards including the NIAID MERIT Award (2022), Landenberger Foundation Awards, and NIAID Career Transition Awards. She serves on editorial boards for Viruses and Retrovirology and has been a permanent member of NIH study sections. As Principal Investigator, she leads multiple NIH-funded projects including the HOPE (HIV Obstruction by Programmed Epigenetics) Martin Delaney Collaboratory for HIV Cure, and research on host factors regulating HIV latency and reactivation. Her work bridges basic science with therapeutic development for HIV cure strategies.
