Dr. Michael Emerman
“You align priorities to favor the trainees (so) that what is good for the trainees will end up being good for the lab”
Emerman on successful mentoring, Virology Unmasked, 2026
Dr. Michael Emerman has spent his career investigating the molecular biology of HIV and the evolution and function of host antiviral genes. Since the start of the HIV pandemic in the 1980s, scientists have devoted millions of hours discovering the functions of each HIV protein and how HIV interacts with human cells. Dr. Emerman was instrumental in demonstrating how the HIV Rev protein moves HIV RNA from the host cell nucleus into the cytoplasm, an important step in the HIV life cycle. He also found how the capsid protein of HIV allows HIV to infect cells which are not dividing, something not observed for most other retroviruses. In addition, he was able to explain why the viral protein Vpr stops the cell cycle. Emerman’s work also investigated several human host proteins such as APOBEC3 and SAMHD1, both important ‘host restriction factors’ in the human cell interaction with HIV. All of this work laid the foundations for anti-HIV medication known as antiretroviral therapy (ART) and potential for future HIV cure strategies. His fundamental HIV research led to an even broader topic of research; Dr. Emerman, with his colleague Dr. Harmit Malik, was part of research efforts that formulated the concept of “paleovirology” which is the study of the evolutionary history of ancient viruses and their relationship to modern viruses and the human immune system. Basically, viruses and human defenses have co-evolved to try and fight each other. Dr. Emerman’s work explored how these ancient viruses have influenced the evolution of our host defenses. Over 40+ years of research, Dr. Emerman unraveled secrets of HIV and pushed forward a whole new path of virology investigation.
A career devoted to mentoring and scientific service
- Mentored over 100 students
- 27 graduate students from 1996-2025
- 18 postdoctoral and medical fellows
- Over 80 undergraduates, summer students, postbacs
- Former students include primary investigators (PIs), deputy attorney generals, CEOs, and scientific writers
- Served on scientific advisory boards, study sections, awards committees, and tenure/promotion review boards
- Reviewed 778 manuscripts since 1989
- Edited several major journals
- Served as editor and Chief for Virology from 2012-2018
- Interim Editor-in-Chief for Virology Reports from 2016-207
- Associate Editor, PLOS Pathogens from 2009-2019
- Academic Editor, PLOS Biology from 2003-2012
- Sat on editorial Boards for the Journal of Virology from 1992-2012 and for AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses from 1998-2018
- Invited speaker at 146 seminars
Over 160 Papers Published
- Most cited paper: A SARS-CoV-2 protein interaction map reveals targets for drug repurposing (April, 2020), cited by over 5350
- First 1st author paper: Cleavage and cross-linking of proteins with osmium (VIII) reagents. J. Histochem. (1982)
- Most recent contribution to a paper: RelB proximity proteomics and CRISPR screening define chromatin regulators of noncanonical NF-κB control of HIV latency and reactivation (August, 2026)
Important Workplaces
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“There was nothing like Howard Temin… (he) was brilliant… he was incredibly intuitive….(and he would say to) work on important things ”
Dr. Emerman discussing advice from Dr. Temin that he lived by and passed on
Page by Molly Cavanaugh, podcast editing by Dr. Larissa Thackray