"We don’t really understand why certain viruses are so good at escaping from our vaccines while others aren’t. We would like to better understand the constraints of evolution."
— Dr. Jesse Bloom
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Bloom
Jesse Bloom, PhD
- Professor, Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutch
- Professor, Herbold Computational Biology Program, Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutch
- Member, Pathogen-Associated Malignancies Integrated Research Center (PAM IRC), Fred Hutch
- Member, Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center (TDS IRC), Fred Hutch
206.667.3331
Background
Dr. Jesse Bloom studies evolution using viruses and viral proteins as models. Specifically focusing on the fast-evolving influenza virus, Bloom aims to understand how mutations in viral genes shape the pathogen’s ability to infect and spread. He uses computational biology and real-world data to build evolutionary models and examine different scales of viral evolution, from evolution within a single host to evolution on a global scale. In doing so, Bloom addresses both fundamental and translational questions, including those with relevance to developing more effective seasonal flu vaccines.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Education
Postdoc in Biology, Caltech
PhD in Chemistry, Caltech
MPhil in Theoretical Chemistry, Cambridge
BS in Biochemistry, University of Chicago