Anna Honko, Ph.D.
Volunteer Research Associate Professor of Virology, Immunology & Microbiology
Director of Preclincal Biology, Apriori Bio
BS Clemson University
PhD (Microbiology/Immunology) Wake Forest University School of Medicine
My research supports programs related to evaluation of potential therapeutics and vaccines for viral threats in biocontainment, such as production and standardization of viral stocks, animal model characterization for hemorrhagic fever viral diseases, and assay development while working in a regulated environment. Research by the Nonclinical Studies Unit is intended to facilitate licensure of products by the FDA through the GLP or Animal Rule studies conducted in maximum containment. My particular focus is the usage of implantable radiotelemetry for the collection of continuous, real-time physiologic data to better characterize animal models of high consequence pathogens.
I’ve spent more than fifteen years working in biocontainment, first in Biosafety Level-3 (Yersinia pestis, Rift Valley Fever Virus, Monkeypox virus) as well as Biosafety Level-4 (Lassa Virus, Junín, Machupo, Ebola Virus, Marburg Virus, Sudan Virus, Nipah Virus). Our team is now heavily vested in working on the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, supporting efforts to understand the pathogenesis of COVID-19 disease and test prospective vaccine and therapeutic treatments.