Dr. Sara Cherry is the John W. Eckman Professor of Medical Science in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She serves as Director of the High-throughput Institute for Discovery and Scientific Director of the University’s High-throughput Screening Core, and leads the RNA Therapeutics Group at the Institute for RNA Innovation. Dr. Cherry’s research explores the interface between viruses and their hosts, pioneering high-throughput cell-based screening to study emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses, including dengue, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. Her laboratory has identified host factors that regulate infection and innate immune mechanisms that control viral replication, as well as novel antiviral candidates. Beyond virology, her team applies similar screening approaches to precision oncology, developing pipelines to identify patient-specific therapeutic responses. Her work integrates genomics, virology, and drug discovery to advance antiviral and immunotherapeutic strategies.