Microbiologist Dr. Sean Whelan is best known for his ongoing contributions to the field of virology. He develops methods that enable scientists to efficiently and safely study how viruses, such as Ebola and rabies and SARS, invade cells and reproduce.  Dr. Whelan focuses his research on system modeling for negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses, using the Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) as a model. The evaluation of VSV’s life cycle and VSV pseudotypes has enhanced the understanding of pathogenic virus behavior.  For instance, Dr. Whelan is credited with identifying a specific subunit of the ribosome, RPL40, as essential to initiate translation of VSV mRNAs. The mechanism enables VSV to block the translation of host mRNAs without inhibiting the production of its own proteins. Dr. Whelan’s discovery is the first step in determining how to stop VSV replication.

“Since 1980, there has been a new, emerging infectious disease of humans on average every six months. Almost two-thirds of those agents are enveloped viruses, and the techniques we apply can rapidly provide insight into two-thirds of them,” Whelan said.

Whelan is a named inventor for two granted patents. (1) U.S. Patent No. 9,234,885, which is directed to a method for treating or for prevention of ebolavirus or marburgvirus with an agent that inhibits Niemann-Pick C1 and (2) U.S. Patent No. 8,034,355, which is directed to an attenuated non-segmented negative-sense RNA virus characterized by at least one mutation in the L gene wherein the mutation reduces viral replication by decreasing mRNA cap methylation.

Dr. Whelan is a Marvin A. Brennecke Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Before WashU, Dr. Whelan was a Professor in Harvard Medical School’s Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. He served as head of Harvard’s PhD Program in Virology. He earned his PhD from the University of Reading in England. His thesis was titled “Alteration of the Cellular Binding Characteristics of Poliovirus” (1993).

He was awarded LGBTQ Scientist of the Year in 2020 by NOGLSTP (National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals).

Author:  Jennell Bilek