/content/dam/www/people-profile-photos/s/joshua-schiffer/provider-joshua-schiffer-directory-1x.jpg
/content/dam/www/people-profile-photos/s/joshua-schiffer/provider-joshua-schiffer-directory-2x.jpg
Schiffer
Joshua T. Schiffer, MD, MSc

Joshua T. Schiffer, MD, MSc

Infectious Disease

  • Physician, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Infectious Disease Sciences Program, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutch
  • Professor, Clinical Research 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
  • Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine
Schiffer Lab

About

Dr. Joshua Schiffer is a board-certified infectious disease physician and researcher at Fred Hutch. He provides patient care and studies HIV, herpes viruses and COVID‑19 using mathematical models to improve understanding of immune responses and antiviral treatments.

Background

Dr. Schiffer focuses on using mathematical models to tackle complex infectious disease challenges. His work focuses on understanding how to achieve an HIV cure for people who rely on lifelong antiviral therapy because of latent virus reservoirs (hidden viruses that can reactivate later). His models evaluate a wide range of potential curative technologies.

Dr. Schiffer and his colleagues also study how T cells help control herpes viruses that can cause illness in healthy people and in people with cancer with weakened immune systems. This work includes modeling when and how dormant viruses reactivate and using models to optimize how antiviral drugs work. His team also studies COVID‑19 by modeling immune responses to the coronavirus and evaluating treatment strategies.

“I believe in empowering patients with knowledge about their health, so we may work together to improve the quality of their lives.”

— Dr. Schiffer

What brought you to specializing in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases?

I chose medicine as a career because I enjoy working at the interface of patient care and scientific discovery. I chose to pursue infectious training at the University of Washington and Fred Hutch due to the international reputation of their faculty. The multidisciplinary approach to science is tremendous here, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such a wide breadth of faculty members whose expertise spans many fields. My research focuses on the kinetics of viral replication and immunological response to viral infections, particularly herpes simplex virus. I design mathematical models that attempt to explain clinical and laboratory findings in greater depth. Infectious diseases will always present a challenge for human health. I look forward to a time when a detailed quantitative understanding of pathogen behavior and human immunologic response can be used to inform therapeutic and vaccine trial design.

Describing the quantitative and dynamical features of human pathogens and immune responses

Pathogenesis of HSV-2 infection

Applying models to optimize viral eradication strategies, and to use models to capture kinetic features of the human microbiome

HIV Cure

Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Dynamics

Tissue Resident T Cells

Viral Dynamics in Infants

Microbiome Dynamics

Viral Infections in Cancer Patients

Languages

English

Education and Experience

MS, Epidemiology, University of Washington

Fellowship, University of Washington

Residency, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Undergraduate, Middlebury College

Board Certification

Infectious Disease, 2008, 2019, American Board of Internal Medicine

Clinical Trials

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians and researchers. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you.

Find a Clinical Trial Led by Dr. Schiffer

Publications

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians and researchers conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by others in their field and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written.

View Dr. Schiffer's Publications

Your Care Team

At Fred Hutch, you receive care from a team of providers with extensive experience in your disease. Your team includes physicians, a patient care coordinator, a registered nurse, an advanced practice provider and others, based on your needs. You also have access to experts like registered dietitians, social workers, acupuncturists, psychiatrists and more who specialize in supporting people with cancer or blood disorders. 

Meet Other Providers

Insurance

Fred Hutch accepts most national private health insurance plans as well as Medicare. We also accept Medicaid for people from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. We are working to ensure that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, has access to the care they need.

More About Insurance

Stories

All news
Infectious disease scientists look beyond the pandemic
Infectious disease scientists look beyond the pandemic A symposium about protecting people with weakened immune systems from microbial threats May 9, 2023
Latest Fred Hutch research on COVID-19
Latest Fred Hutch research on COVID-19 How Hutch scientists have been tackling coronavirus in lab and clinic June 30, 2022
What Hutch coronavirus experts are saying about omicron
What Hutch coronavirus experts are saying about omicron Some answers, but many questions, about highly mutated new variant of COVID-19 virus February 11, 2022

Contact Information

206.667.7359

206.667.6366