Headshot of Efrain Rivera-Serrano

Efrain Rivera-Serrano

Assistant Professor of Biology

Department: Biology

Office and address: McMichael Science Building, office 202A 2625 Campus Box Elon, NC 27244

Phone number: (336) 278-4861

Professional Expertise

Virology, Cell Biology, Immunology, and Science Communication

Brief Biography

I am originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico and attended college on the island before moving to North Carolina for graduate school and postdoctoral training. Our bodies are composed of a large number of different cell types, each with their unique physiology and ability to respond to microbial infections. My expertise revolves around the cell biology of viral infections in different human tissues—that is, how do different cell types within specific tissues (e.g., cardiomyocytes in the heart, hepatocytes in the liver, pneumocytes in the lungs, leukocytes in the blood, and others) collectively respond to viruses as foreign entities to ultimately confer organ protection—and how viruses quickly evolve to overcome antiviral responses exerted by our immune system. I am also a science writer with experience in effective ways of communicating science to nonspecialized audiences. At Elon, I mainly teach introductory cell biology, human physiology, introductory seminar, and microbiology for health professionals. 

In addition to my teaching responsibilities, I mentor students interested in virology, cell physiology, immunology, or science communication research for credit hours (as BIO4999 or HNR4998.) Broadly speaking, my research at Elon integrates principles of cell biology, genetics, and immunology to better understand the plasticity and limitations of viral evolution using human cell culture models and biochemical approaches. In particular, my mentees are broadly interested in adressing the following questions: (1) how do different human cell types respond to viral infections?, (2) how do viruses evolve to overcome barriers exerted by our immune system? and (3) can we use directed evolution to generate viruses suited to specifically destroy cancer cells? In addition, I also mentor students interested in (4) researching effective ways of communicating science to the public using opensource and social media platforms.

Outside of science, I am a certified personal trainer, an avid long distance runner, and the proud dad of a pack of rescue dogs.

Links

    Education

    Ph.D. in Comparative Biomedical Sciences (concentration: Infectious Diseases), North Carolina State University (2016)

    M.Sc. in Plant Cell Biology & Biotechnology, North Carolina State University (2012)

    B.Sc. in Biology & Chemistry, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico (2009)

    Employment History

    Assistant Professor, Elon University (2023–present)

    Adjunct Assistant Professor, Elon University (2021–2023)

    Social Media Intern and Contributing Editor, American Scientist magazine, American Society for Cell Biology, and Genetics Society of America (2020–2023)

    Research Associate (Virology), UNC-Chapel Hill (2019–2020)

    Postdoctoral Research Associate (Virology & Genetics), University of California–Davis (2018–2019)

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Virology & Cell Biology), UNC-Chapel Hill (2017–2018)

    Graduate Research Assistant (Cell Biology), NC State University (2009–2016)

    Courses Taught

    • BIO1013 — General Biology Lab

    • BIO1050 — Emerging Infectious Diseases (Winter term)

    • BIO1064 — Biology: The Science of Life (biology for nonmajors)

    • BIO1112 & BIO1113 — Introductory Cell Biology (lecture and lab)

    • BIO2122 & BIO2123 — Microbiology for Health Professionals (lecture and lab)

    • BIO2412 & BIO2413 — Human Physiology (lecture and lab)

    • BIO2970 — Introductory Seminar

    • BIO4999/HNR4998 — Independent Research

    Research

    Cells form the basis of all living organisms whereas viruses are small subcellular agents categorized as obligate intracellular parasites—unable to multiply outside a host cell—that can essentially infect all forms of life. Due to this extreme dependence for cellular factors to replicate, targeting viral infections through highly-selective antiviral agents with minimal effects on the host cell has proven to be challenging. Similarly, the uniquely rapid evolution rate seen in viruses poses a challenge when designing effective vaccines. With this in mind, our overarching research goals are:

    (1) To reveal unique ways by which different human cells defend themselves against viruses, and how viruses quickly evolve to overcome these immune responses through natural selection. 

    (2) To better understand how viruses evolve to escape from antibody-mediated neutralization, with an emphasis on their ability to become insensitive to vaccines over time.

    Nonetheless, some viruses have properties that we can harness in the biomedical field. One example is the ability of some viruses to preferentially infect and destroy cancer cells, while having minimal effects on healthy cells—a feature known as oncolytic potential. In fact, some of these viruses are currently in clinicial trials as an alternative therapy against cancer. Thus, our lab is also interested in:

    (3) Generating viruses specialized in killing specific cancer cells through directed molecular evolution.

    (4) To blend the oncolytic nature of some viruses with common chemotherapeutic drugs for their effectiveness as combination therapy against rare cancers.

    Lastly, my research group is committed to fostering and maintaining a supportive, diverse, and inclusive environment. We value and welcome every member of our community, regardless of socioeconomic status, physical and cognitive abilities, age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and all other identities. You can find more information on values and expectations for my research students here.

    Current Projects

    •Students mentored through BIO4999 or HNR4998 and their projects:

    • Charlotte Dagli ('25, she/her) — Exploring the use of oncolytic viruses as therapeutic agents against fibrosarcoma

    • Ethan Grossberg ('25, he/him) — Identifying biochemical constraints during viral evolution for broad-spectrum vaccine design

    • Thomas McKiernan ('25, he/him) — Investigating the interplay between immune responses against bacteria and viruses in the oral cavity

    • Nivea Walker ('26, they/them) — Influence of audiovisual communication venues on public perception and trust in science

    • Ryder Hutchinson ('28, he/him) — Exploring the use of oncolytic viruses against oral cancers

    • Alice Efremov ('26, they/them) — Oncolytic virotherapy in conjunction with traditional chemotherapy against fibrosarcoma

    Publications

    [2023] Das A, Rivera-Serrano EE, Yin X, Walker C, Feng Z, Lemon SM. Cellular entry and egress of quasi-enveloped human hepatitis viruses. Nat Rev Microbiol. 21: 573–589

    [2021] Rivera-Serrano EE and Lemon SM. Vesicle-mediated transcytosis and export of viruses. Encyclopedia of Virology. 4th Ed. 1, 529–541

    [2020] Rivera-Serrano EE, Gizzi AS, Arnold JJ, Grove TL, Almo, SC, Cameron EE. Viperin reveals its true function. Annu Rev Virol. 7: 421–446

    [2020] Li C, Shi J, Wang H, Rivera-Serrano EE, Yang D, Zhou G, Sun C, Cameron EE, Yu L. Polymerase fidelity contributes to foot-and-mouth disease virus pathogenicity and transmissibility in vivo. J Virol. 95:e01569-20

    [2019] Kong W, Rivera-Serrano EE, Neidleman JA, Zhu J. (2019) HIV-1 replication benefits from the RNA epitranscriptomic code. J Mol Biol. 431(24):5032-5038

    [2019] Yamane D, Feng H, Rivera-Serrano EE, Selitsky SR, [...], Lemon SM. Basal expression of interferon regulatory factor 1 drives intrinsic hepatocyte resistance to multiple RNA viruses. Nat Microbiol. 4(7): 1096–1104

    [2019] Li Y, Wang L, Rivera-Serrano EE, Chen X, Lemon SM. TNRC6 proteins modulate hepatitis C virus replication by spatially regulating the binding of miR-122/Ago2 complexes to viral RNA. Nucleic Acids Res. 9;47(12):6411–6424

    [2019] Rivera-Serrano EE, González-López O, Das A, Lemon SM. Cellular entry and uncoating of naked and quasi-enveloped human hepatoviruses. eLife. 8:e43983

    [2018] González-López O, Rivera-Serrano EE, Hu F, Hensley L, McKnight KL, Ren J, Stuart DI, Fry EF, Lemon SM. Redundant late domain functions of tandem VP2 YPX3L motifs in cellular egress of quasi-enveloped hepatitis A virus. J Virol. 92(23): e01308–18

    [2017] McKnight KL, Xie L, González-López O, Rivera-Serrano EE, Chen X, Lemon SM. Protein composition of the hepatitis A virus quasi-envelope. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 114(25):6587–6592

    [2017] Rivera-Serrano EE, DeAngelis N, Sherry B. Spontaneous activation of a MAVS-dependent antiviral signaling pathway determines high basal interferon-β expression in cardiac myocytes. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 111: 102–113

    [2017] Rivera-Serrano EE, Fritch EJ, Scholl EH, Sherry B. A cytoplasmic RNA virus alters the function of the cell splicing protein SRSF2. J. Virol. 91(7): e02488–16

    [2017] Rivera-Serrano EE and Sherry B. NF-κB activation is cell type-specific in the heart. Virology. 502: 133–143

    [2014] Stebbing RE, Irvin SC, Rivera-Serrano EE, Boehme KW, Ikizler M, Yoder JA, Dermody TS, Sherry B. An ITAM in a nonenveloped virus regulates activation of NF-κB, induction of beta interferon, and viral spread. J Virol. 88(5): 2572–2583

    [2012] Rivera-Serrano EE, Rodriguez-Welsh MF, Hicks GR, Rojas-Pierce M. A small molecule inhibitor partitions two distinct pathways for trafficking of tonoplast intrinsic proteins in Arabidopsis. PLoS ONE. 7(9): e44735

    Personal Information

    How to pronounce my name? Although almost every student simply calls me "Dr. E", my full name is pronounced: "ef-raa-EEn" "ree-vEH-raa" "seh-rrAA-noh" . My pronouns are he/him/his/él.

    Awards

    • Elon's Innovation Grant for the proposal "Strengthening interdisciplinary connections across STEM students through community building and professional development," Co-PI with Dr. Hwayeon Ryu (2025)

    • HHMI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion inSTEM Project Development Mini Grant for the proposal "Building a community of Latinx student leaders interested in the healthcare professions." Project Lead along with students Diana Jimenez-Carreno, Daniela Maldonado, Ashley Ramirez-Martinez, and Maximus Garganta, Elon University (2024)

    • Elon College of Arts and Sciences (ECAS) Dean Mini Grant for the proposal "Building a Research Community between Mathematics and Biology," Co-PI with Dr. Hwayeon Ryu (2024)

    • HHMI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM for the proposal "Introducing History & Ethics of Biology into an Introductory Seminar", Elon University (2024)

    • Sustainability Faculty Scholar, Elon University (2024)

    • Hultquist Faculty Research & Development Award for the proposal "Establishing a research platform to study the flexibility and limitations of viral evolution", Elon University (2023)