Harvard University, Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology

Justin Lessler, Ph.D.

I earned a B.S. in Mathematical Epidemiology and Biology from American University in Washington, DC, where I studied cancer cell dynamics and evolutionary genetics. Motivated to continue integrating mathematics and biology with applications to public health, I joined the Systems, Synthetic, and Quantitative Biology PhD program at Harvard Medical School and completed my doctoral training in Steve Elledge’s lab at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In the Elledge lab, my research focused on characterizing antibody repertoire dynamics across the lifespan and identifying biomarkers associated with chronic and acute disease using phage immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-seq) technology. During graduate school, my passion for teaching was shaped through mentorship and instructional experiences with high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in Justin Lessler’s lab in the Department of Epidemiology at UNC, where I study influenza dynamics using serological data and mathematical modeling approaches. I am excited to further develop as an educator through the opportunities provided by the SPIRE program.