Dr. Pablo Irusta obtained his MS (1995) and Ph.D. degrees (1999) in microbiology at Yale University. His research at Yale explored signal transduction mechanisms triggered in cancerous cells, specifically in virally transformed cells. After obtaining his Ph.D. degree, Dr. Irusta conducted postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins University on mechanisms of cellular suicide, a process that is usually triggered by viral infections. A portion of the work at Hopkins resulted in the filing of a patent for a potential inhibitor of septic shock. Dr. Irusta joined the faculty of the Department of Human Science in 2004, where he continues to conduct research in the area of molecular signaling pathways utilized by cells during physiologically normal conditions and during viral infections.