Mark K. Slifka

Mark K. Slifka is a Senior Professor at Oregon Health & Science University, where his research focuses on immunology, virology, and vaccine development. His work spans infectious disease epidemiology and the molecular mechanisms of immune responses, with recent breakthroughs including an inactivated trivalent virion-based vaccine protecting against aerosolized encephalitic alphaviruses in mice and macaques, and prophylactic monoclonal antibody therapy preventing lethal yellow fever infection. His 2025 publications also address barriers to West Nile virus vaccine development, heterologous protection against O'nyong'nyong virus, and the impact of obesity on SARS-CoV-2 infection and post-acute sequelae in nonhuman primates. He has contributed influential reviews on tetanus and diphtheria vaccination programs, and his research integrates viral pathogenesis with translational vaccine design, including studies on TGFβ-mediated CD8+ T cell signaling.