Daniel R. Pérez

Biosketch

Daniel R. Perez, Ph.D., is the Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator and Caswell S. Eidson Chair in Poultry Medicine at the University of Georgia with a career focused on emerging pathogens at the animal-human interface. Dr. Perez earned his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the National University of Cordoba, Argentina, and a Ph.D. in Molecular Virology from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He completed his postdoctoral training in Molecular Virology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and subsequently served as a Junior Faculty member at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Before joining UGA in 2015, he was a Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he also directed a multi-institutional USDA-NIFA-funded project on avian influenza. A highly-honored researcher, Dr. Perez was elected to the National Academy of Sciences of the USA in 2025 and has received several awards, including the Zoetis Animal Health Award and the Pfizer Animal Health Award. He also contributes to the scientific community as an editor for journals like PLOS Pathogens and the Journal of Virology, and as a reviewer for NIH study sections.

Research Interests

Dr. Daniel R. Perez has over 30 years of experience studying how viruses jump between species to better prepare for future pandemics. His research focuses on the pathogenesis and interspecies transmission of influenza viruses. His contributions include playing a pivotal role in developing plasmid-based reverse genetics systems, a technology that has revolutionized the study of influenza viruses. He also provided evidence of the Japanese quail's role in the emergence of avian influenza viruses with expanded host ranges, which led to the banning of quail in live bird markets in Hong Kong. His laboratory made the seminal discovery of the airborne transmission potential of avian influenza viruses in mammals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his lab expanded its scope to include the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 in animal models. A key area of his work involves the development of genetically enhanced modified live virus (MLV) vaccines for avian influenza, which are designed to be safe, effective, and protective in poultry. His research also includes the creation of a Jersey dairy cow model for studying H5N1 infection and the development of a novel aerosol chamber to study airborne influenza transmission. Looking ahead, Dr. Perez plans to investigate how influenza A viruses evolve across different host species and further develop a probiotic-based platform to deliver protective nanobodies and peptides against influenza. In addition, his lab is working on an ambitious gene-editing approach to create influenza-resistant animals.