- John W. Eckman Professor of Medical Science, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Cherry is the John W. Eckman Professor of Medical Science in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Scientific Director of the High-Throughput Screening Core, and Director of the High-Throughput Institute for Discovery (HIT-ID). Her research uses unbiased screening approaches to identify genes and drugs that impact human disease.
A key focus of her work is the interface between viruses and their hosts. Using high-throughput screening, she identifies antivirals and host factors that impact emerging RNA viruses including dengue and SARS-CoV-2. She also has a deep interest in repurposing and has screened libraries that include FDA-approved drugs, for antiviral activity as well as inducers of innate immunity. This research has uncovered new mechanisms of interferon signaling and innate immune control, with ongoing studies in long COVID patients suggesting the gastrointestinal tract may serve as a viral reservoir driving chronic inflammation.
These findings have extended into autoimmunity research. Through the High-Throughput Center for AutoImmune Therapeutic Discovery (HIT-AI), a Center of Excellence at the Penn Colton Center for Autoimmunity, Dr. Cherry and collaborators, Dr. Fajgenbaum and Dr. Miner, are combining artificial intelligence with high-throughput screening to identify new therapies for autoimmune diseases
