Rafael Medina Silva, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Pathology Advanced Translational Unit (PATRU)

Emory Vaccine Center

Scientific Director of BSL3 facilities, Emory University School of Medicine

Dr. Rafael A. Medina, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and part of the Emory Vaccine Center in the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Medina obtained his Bachelor of Science degree at the university of Western Sydney, Australia, completed his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at The University of New Mexico and his Postdoctoral Fellowship in Virology with Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Medina conducts basic and translational interdisciplinary research on RNA viruses, and has extensive expertise on Hantaviruses, Influenza virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The Medina Lab focuses on understanding the molecular basis of disease, pathogenesis and immune responses induced during RNA virus infections, using systems biology approaches. Research projects in the lab include studying viral zoonosis, viral immune evasion and using several experimental and Omics tools to dissect molecular host-pathogen interactions leading to resilience versus severe disease.