Pandemics and Alertness member WG1 (Understanding the virus) and WG2 (Fighting the virus), LINXS Fellow

Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

Alex Evilevitch is a professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, with an extensive background in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of biophysics, virology, and physical chemistry. His academic journey includes tenured faculty appointments at Lund University (Sweden), Carnegie Mellon University (USA), and the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign (USA). Evilevitch's work has significantly advanced the understanding of viral genome packaging and infectivity, with a focus on the physical interactions governing the viral infectious cycle.His lab explores the physico-chemical mechanisms of viral capsid assembly, DNA packaging, and host-virus interactions using cutting-edge biophysical techniques, including Cryo-EM, AFM, and small-angle scattering. His translational research addresses key challenges in herpes virology and gene therapy, leading to the development of non-resistance-based antiviral therapies and improved AAV vector production methods. Evilevitch holds U.S. patents for groundbreaking antiviral strategies targeting the pressurized DNA state of herpesviruses, resistant to viral mutations. He is also developing scalable solutions for recombinant AAV production, enhancing packaging capacity and purity for gene therapy applications. Evilevitch has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and received numerous awards, including the Hebert Newby McCoy Award and the Hagberg Prize from the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences. His research has been supported by over $7 million in funding from organizations such as the Swedish Research Council, NIH, and NSF.