Dr. Eva Harris is a Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Director of the Center for Global Public Health, and Chair of the Infectious Diseases and Immunity Graduate Group in the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. She has developed a multidisciplinary approach to study the molecular virology, pathogenesis, immunology, epidemiology, diagnostics, clinical aspects and control of dengue, Zika and chikungunya, the most prevalent mosquito-borne viral diseases in humans.

Her work addresses immune correlates of protection and pathogenesis, viral and host factors that modulate disease severity, and virus replication and evolution, using in vitro approaches, animal models, and research involving human populations. One major focus is on studies of arboviral disease in humans, including antibody and B cell responses and correlates of protection, systems immunology profiling of the innate response, diagnostics and seroprevalence studies, and viral evolution, fitness, and intrahost diversity. Another focus is viral pathogenesis, specifically the role of flavivirus NS1 protein in endothelial permeability, vascular leak, and viral dissemination. Recently, she extended this approach to new studies on COVID-19 pathogenesis, therapeutics, epidemiology and seroprevalence both locally and internationally. Her international work focuses on laboratory-based and epidemiological studies of dengue, chikungunya, Zika, as well as influenza and COVID-19, in endemic Latin American countries, particularly in Nicaragua through close collaborations for over 30 years. Ongoing projects in Nicaragua include clinical and biological studies of severe dengue, a pediatric cohort study and household transmission studies of dengue, Zika, chikungunya in Managua.

Dr. Harris has published over 330 peer-reviewed articles, as well as a book on her international scientific work. In 1997, she received a MacArthur Award for work over the previous ten years developing programs to build scientific capacity in developing countries to address public health and infectious disease issues. This enabled her to found a non-profit organization in 1998, Sustainable Sciences Institute (SSI), with offices in San Francisco and Nicaragua to continue and expand this work worldwide.

Molecular virology, pathogenesis, immunology, epidemiology, clinical aspects and control of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya

Epidemiology of influenza and COVID-19 in tropical countries

Scientific capacity building in developing countries

PhD – Molecular and Cell Biology
University of California, Berkeley, 1993

BA – Biochemical Sciences
Harvard University, 1987