Eric J. Yager Ph.D.

Dr. Eric Yager is an Associate Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. As a faculty member of CBET, Dr. Yager is involved with student instruction, the development of workshops for workforce training, and helping to identify opportunities for partnerships and collaborations in industry and academia.

Dr. Yager brings more than 15 years of experience in the areas of virology, immunology, antibody-based therapies, anti-virals, and vaccines. His current research focuses on human diseases caused by enveloped RNA viruses including COVID-19, influenza, AIDS, and congenital Zika syndrome. Specifically, Dr. Yager and his collaborator are investigating how these viruses are able to co-opt host cell biosynthetic pathways with the hope that their findings will lead to the development of improved therapeutics and vaccines against these viral diseases.

Dr. Yager earned his Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University at Albany. His doctoral work revealed mechanisms by which antibodies mediate in protection against the obligate intracellular pathogen Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the causative agent of the tick-borne disease ehrlichiosis in humans. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Trudeau Institute, Dr. Yager made novel findings into the impacts of aging on the cellular immune response to influenza. Following, as a Research Associate at the Albany Medical College, Dr. Yager played a key role in an academia-industry cooperative research program focused on the development a DNA-based universal flu vaccine.  Dr. Yager has authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications, has given invited talks at several regional and national scientific conferences, and has been interviewed by several media outlets including CNN and NBC News. Dr. Yager is also enthusiastic about educating individuals on viruses and vaccines, as demonstrated by his continuing guest spot on talk radio to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and his public webinars on the 1918 flu pandemic.

EDUCATION

University at Albany, School of Public Health, Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences

Rochester Institute of Technology, B.Sc. in Biotechnology