Sara Cherry, PhD

Dr. Sara Cherry is the John W. Eckman Professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She serves as Scientific Director of the High-Throughput Screening Core, leads the RNA Therapeutics Group at the Institute for RNA Innovation, and directs the High-Throughput Institute for Discovery (HIT-ID). Her research uses high-throughput, unbiased screening approaches to discover genes and drugs that impact human disease, particularly at the virus-host interface. Her lab has identified host factors essential for infection and screened over 30,000 drugs—including FDA-approved compounds—for antiviral activity against RNA viruses such as dengue and SARS-CoV-2. These studies have revealed new aspects of interferon signaling and innate immune responses to respiratory viruses. Dr. Cherry is also investigating long COVID, uncovering evidence that viral reservoirs in the gastrointestinal tract may drive hyperinflammation and diverse symptoms. Her work continues to identify therapeutic targets and antiviral strategies.