About
Biographies
Research Interests and Accomplishments
David Spiro is the head of the Viral Genomics group at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, MD. The Viral Genomics group is actively involved in surveillance of emerging infectious diseases, developing high throughput sequencing platforms to monitor the evolution of RNA viruses. He leads several large scale genome sequencing projects investigating the molecular evolution of influenza, coronaviruses, rhinoviruses and rotaviruses. The JCVI/NIAID Influenza Genome sequencing project has provided the medical research community with thousands of full genome human and avian influenza sequences, creating a freely accessible resource for understanding influenza population dynamics and evolution.
Dr. Spiro received his undergraduate degree at Columbia University and his graduate degree at Harvard University. His scientific research has focused on parasite and viral genomics. Before joining JCVI, Dr. Spiro was a Research Scientist at New England Biolabs where he studied the filarial parasite Brugia malayi.
Select Publications
Nelson, M. I., Edelman, L., et al.
Molecular epidemiology of A/H3N2 and A/H1N1 influenza virus during a single epidemic season in the United States
PLoS Pathog. 2008 Aug 01; 4(8): e1000133.
Dugan, V.G., Chen, R., et al.
The evolutionary genetics and emergence of avian influenza viruses in wild birds
PLoS Pathog. 2008 May 30; 4(5): e1000076.
Nelson, M. I., Viboud, C., et al.
Multiple reassortment events in the evolutionary history of H1N1 influenza A virus since 1918
PLoS Pathog. 2008 Feb 15; 4(2): e1000012.
Djikeng, A., Halpin, R. A., et al.
Viral genome sequencing by random priming methods
BMC Genomics. 2008 Jan 07; 9(1): 5.
Smith, K. A., Komuniecki, R. W., et al.
Genes encoding putative biogenic amine receptors in the parasitic nematode Brugia malayi
Invert Neurosci. 2007 Dec 01; 7(4): 227-44.
Kumar, S., Chaudhary, K., et al.
Mining predicted essential genes of Brugia malayi for nematode drug targets
PLoS ONE. 2007 Nov 14; 2(11): e1189.
Ghedin, E., Wang, S., et al.
Draft genome of the filarial nematode parasite Brugia malayi
Science. 2007 Sep 21; 317(5845): 1756-60.
Hotopp, J. C., Clark, M. E., et al.
Widespread Lateral Gene Transfer from Intracellular Bacteria to Multicellular Eukaryotes
Science. 2007 Aug 30;
Zhang, X., Hasoksuz, M., et al.
Quasispecies of bovine enteric and respiratory coronaviruses based on complete genome sequences and genetic changes after tissue culture adaptation
Virology. 2007 Jun 20; 363(1): 1-10.
Salzberg, S. L., Kingsford, C., et al.
Genome analysis linking recent European and African influenza (H5N1) viruses
Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 May 01; 13(5): 713-8.
Hasoksuz, M., Alekseev, K., et al.
Biologic, antigenic and full length genomic characterization of a bovine-like coronavirus isolated from a giraffe
J Virol. 2007 Mar 07; 81: 4981-4990.
Nelson, M. I., Simonsen, L., et al.
Stochastic Processes Are Key Determinants of Short-Term Evolution in Influenza A Virus
PLoS Pathog. 2006 Dec 01; 2(12): e125.
Zhang, X., Hasoksuz, M., et al.
Complete genomic sequences, a key residue in the spike protein and deletions in nonstructural protein 3b of US strains of the virulent and attenuated coronaviruses, transmissible gastroenteritis virus and porcine respiratory coronavirus
Virology. 2006 Oct 03; 358(2): 424-35.
Ghedin, E., Sengamalay, N. A., et al.
Large-scale sequencing of human influenza reveals the dynamic nature of viral genome evolution
Nature. 2005 Oct 05; 437(7062): 1162-6.