Dr. Burwitz received his PhD from the Cellular & Molecular Pathology Graduate Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2010. He is currently an Associate Professor and core scientist in the divisions of Pathobiology & Immunology and Metabolic Health & Disease at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. He has 20 years of experience in infectious disease immunology, with a focus on non-human primate models. His lab studies viral infections with liver involvement, including Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever, and HIV, and strives to understand pathogen:host interactions for the design of novel prophylactic and therapeutic drugs.

In addition to his active viral immunology program, Dr. Burwitz also researches genome editing technologies in non-human primate embryos for the creation of new models of human disease. In 2022, the Burwitz Lab welcomed two transgenic rhesus macaques expressing the Hepatitis B entry receptor in their livers, making them artificially susceptible to this virus. This massive team effort brought together immunologists, virologists, and reproductive scientists, and this group is continuing forward with additional models of human disease.

Overall, Dr. Burwitz’s lab is a diverse group of researchers converging on the immunology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases and emerging genome editing technologies.