
Daved H. Fremont, PhD
Principal Investigator
- Phone: 314-747-6547
- Email: fremont@wustl.edu
Professor, Department of Pathology and Immunology
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Education
- BS, Chemical Engineering: University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (1986)
- PhD, Biochemistry: University of California, La Jolla, CA (1993)
- PostDoc, Molecular Biophysics: Columbia University, New York City, NY (1994-98)
- PostDoc, Immunology: National Jewish Center, Denver CO (1994-98)
Education/Training Program Affiliations
- Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology program
- Immunology program
- Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program
Research Summary
Investigating mechanisms of host immunity and viral evasion.

Christopher A. Nelson, PhD
Assistant Professor, Pathology & Immunology
- Email: nelson@wustl.edu
Education
- BS, Chemical Engineering: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI (1985)
- PhD, Immunology & Molecular Biology: Washington University, St. Louis, MO (1994)
- PostDoc, Pathology & Immunology: Washington University, St. Louis, MO (1994-1998)
Awards
- Spencer T. Olin Award (1994)
Research
Several poxvirus immune evasion proteins make use of a conserved β-sandwich-domain that we propose calling a “PIE scaffold”. PIE domain-containing proteins are abundant among chordopox. We estimate there may be as many as 20 separate PIE families. My current aim is to determine the function of as many PIEs as possible, to understand their role in immune evasion, and by x-ray crystallography understand how they bind so many disparate ligands.

Yanan Dai, PhD
Staff Scientist
- Email: ydai26@wustl.edu
Education
- BS, Pharmacy: Tianjin University, Tianjin, China (2008)
- PhD: University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China (2013)
Research interests
- Structural basis of antibody-mediated protection of influenza virus
- Structural analysis of natural killer cell receptors and ligands

Sangeeta Yadav
Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Email: syadav@wustl.edu
Education
- B.Sc. in Botany, University of Delhi, India (2015)
- M.Sc. in Biotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India (2017)
- Ph.D. in Nanobiotechnology, VIT, Vellore, India (2022)
Awards
- Recipient of research grant from DBT-Government of India and US-Foldscope
- Awarded International Travel Grant by the Department of Science and Technology-SERB, India
Research Interests
My research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Alphavirus-host interactions, with an emphasis on identifying potential strategies to inhibit viral entry and replication. I am particularly interested in characterizing virus-receptor interactions using biophysical and biochemical approaches, and in studying antibody-virus binding at the atomic level to inform therapeutic and vaccine development.

Paige D. Hall
Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Email: paige.hall@wustl.edu
Education
- BS, Biochemistry: Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX (2017)
- PhD, Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology: Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO (2025)
Awards
- Chancellor’s Student Research Scholar (2017)
- ACS-Dallas/Ft. Worth Outstanding Undergraduate Student (2017)
- American Society for Virology Student Travel award (2020 and 2022)
- Future of Science Fund scholarship, Keystone Symposium (2024)
Research
I research the strategies and mechanisms used by poxviruses, coronaviruses, and astroviruses to engage with and evade the host immune system. To achieve this, I employ biophysical and biochemical techniques to understand these protein-protein interactions on a macromolecular level, and structural biology to determine atomic structure.

Sean Hui
PhD Candidate: Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
- Email: h.sean@wustl.edu
Education
- BS, General Biology: University of California – San Diego, La Jolla, CA (2015)
Research
Structural perspectives of host-pathogen interactions in arboviruses.

Michael N. Nguyen
PhD Candidate: Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
- Email: m.n.nguyen@wustl.edu
Education
- BS, Microbiology, University of California – San Diego, La Jolla, CA (2019)
Other Institutions
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology (2020-2023)
Research
My current work focuses on characterizing the prefusion intermediate conformation states using antibody and potential host-cell receptors, with a current focus on flavivirus.

Shiqi “Ally” Cao
PhD Candiate: Immunology
- Email: cao.shiqi@wustl.edu
Education
- BS, Biological Sciences: University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (2024)
Lab Alumni
Haiyan Zhao
Postdoctoral research associate
Currently a Professor at Wuhan University
Xiaoli Wang
Assistant Professor, Pathology and Immunology
Currently retired
Arthur S. Kim
PhD student in Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program (completed 2020)
Ian B. Harvey
PhD student in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology program (completed 2020)
Currently a postdoctoral fellow at New York University
Jabari I. Elliott
PhD student in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology program (completed 2020)
Currently a senior consultant for EY-Parthenon
Lily Xu
Undergraduate student (received BS in 2020)
Currently a PhD student in the Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University
Katherine Basore
PhD student in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology (completed 2021)
Currently a Staff Scientist at the Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging (WUCCI)
John M. Errico
PhD student in Immunology (Completed 2022)
Currently a Scientist at Vir Biotechnology
Maxwell Zimmerman
Postdoctoral researcher
Currently a Scientist at Generate Biomedicines
Brittany K. Smith
PhD student in Molecular Biophysics
Currently a Bioinformatics Scientist at Washington University
Lucas J. Adams
MSTP student in Immunology (completed 2024)
Currently completing medical school at Washington University School of Medicine