John Teijaro

John Teijaro, Ph.D. serves on the Faculty of the Scripps Research Institute. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology.

The focus of the Teijaro Lab is understanding how immune suppressive and pathological environments are generated, maintained and reversed, with a specific focus on how type 1 interferon (IFN-I) production and signaling regulates these two states. The primary focus has been on understanding how IFN-I signaling promotes both immune suppressive and pathological states following persistent and acute viral infection, respectively. Recent key advances/publications include research on how the Interferon stimulated genes Usp18/Isg15 regulate immune pathology and virus persistence, the role of JAK inhibition in reversing immune suppression in conjunction with checkpoint blockade in persistent viral infection and cancer and the study and identification of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antivirals, antibodies and immune modulatory treatments to control COVID19 disease.

As an independent investigator, Dr Teijaro is recognized as a world leader in viral immunology and cytokine biology with breakthrough research that is leading to new concepts for the immunotherapy of cancer as well a deeper understanding of the immunology of viral infections including COVID-19. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine under Dr. Donna L. Farber and completed his postdoctoral research at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Oldstone.