Megan Stanifer has been working in the field of molecular virology and cell biology for the past 19 years. Throughout her career, she handled a diverse array of BSL2 and BLS3 pathogens including both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses with DNA and RNA genomes. During this time, she investigated pathogen-host interactions from viral entry to antiviral innate immune modulation. Megan developed state-of-the art microscopy approaches to investigate virus entry, fusion, and immune stimulation as well as methods to evaluate host responses to viral infection at the single cell level. The PhD studies focused on understanding how the human polyomaviruses JCV and BKV established infection in human glial and kidney cell cultures. Following her PhD studies, she performed her first post-doctoral position in the laboratory of Dr. Sean Whelan, Harvard Medical school. During this time, she evaluated the entry and fusion of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). After a three-year post-doc at Harvard Medical School, Megan moved to Germany and joined the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Heidelberg. There, she started a second post-doc where she established the use of human, mouse and feline intestinal organoids to evaluate host/pathogen interactions. Using these models, she's been able to introduce methods to genetically modify these organoids and evaluate how they respond to a variety of enteric viruses. Recently, Stanifer relocated to the University of Florida as Assistant Professor and her lab is continuing to focus on how mucosal surfaces use interferons to combat virus infection.