Nathan Beutler, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: Harnessing B-cell Responses and Drug Interventions for Tailored Therapeutics: A Focus on Malaria and COVID-19
Research Focus: Beutler's work focused on developing antibody-based tools to prevent and treat infectious diseases, using molecular immunology, in vivo models, and pathogen challenge systems—with a particular emphasis on vaccine development and pandemic response.
Undergraduate Institution: University of California, San Diego
Noteworthy Publications: Isolation of potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and protection from disease in a small animal model, Science (2020); Drug repurposing screens identify chemical entities for the development of COVID-19 interventions, Nature Communications (2021); A novel CSP C-terminal epitope targeted by an antibody with protective activity against Plasmodium falciparum, PLOS Pathogens (2022); A single-administration therapeutic interfering particle reduces SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding and pathogenesis in hamsters, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2022)
Honors and Awards: The Schimmel Family Endowed Fellowship Fund in the Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences (2020)
Looking Back: "I’m most grateful for the mentorship, collaboration, and support I received during my time at Scripps Research. Working in Dennis Burton’s lab and alongside brilliant scientists through the COVID-19 pandemic shaped both my scientific approach and my commitment to developing impactful therapeutics."
What's Next: "I’m excited to continue my training as a postdoctoral researcher at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, where I’ll be working with Professors Elizabeth Winzeler and Thomas Rogers. My research will focus on understanding the evolution of resistance to malaria vaccines and therapeutic antibodies, with the goal of guiding the development of next-generation interventions. This postdoctoral experience will also serve as a foundation to propel my career in academia, where I hope to lead a research program focused on the discovery of innovative therapeutics for infectious diseases. As I move into this next stage, I remain committed to working at the intersection of immunology and global health—advancing impactful therapies and vaccines to improve human health worldwide."
Join us at 10 a.m. PDT on Friday, May 16, 2025 for our Commencement Ceremony Livestream! Beutler will be introduced by his advisor, Prof. Dennis Burton, who will deliver a few words about his graduate experience. Viewers will also learn about our many other 2025 graduates, who are now setting out to build careers that will profoundly impact the future of biomedical research.
