
Alexander Ploss, Harry C. Wiess Professor in the Life Sciences, has been appointed acting co-director of Princeton University’s Global Health Program (GHP) for the Spring 2025 semester. Ploss joins GHP Co-Director Heather Howard, professor of the practice and director of State Health and Value Strategies, and Gilbert Collins, executive director of the Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW) and director of Global Health Programs, in leading this vibrant community of health-focused scholarship and learning.
Established in 2008, the Global Health Program fosters interdisciplinary health and health policy research and undergraduate education with an international perspective. Its underlying mission is to promote meaningful change in a time plagued by both emerging and enduring health challenges, while preparing the next generation of global health leaders.
An accomplished virologist, CHW affiliate, and member of GHP’s Executive Committee, Ploss’ work centers around the molecular virology, immune responses and pathogenesis to human pathogens affecting the liver. His lab, based in the Department of Molecular Biology, mainly studies human-tropic pathogens, specifically hepatitis viruses, classical flaviviruses, such as yellow fever, dengue, and SARS-CoV-2. This focus stems from the global burden of infectious diseases, which are responsible for nearly one quarter of all human deaths worldwide.
“We are really fascinated by the intricacies of the reproductive cycle of these viruses in their hosts, and how they are able – with a very limited set of genes – to establish an infection and often prevent the host from effectively clearing the infection,” he said. The group combines tissue engineering, molecular virology/pathogenesis, and animal construction to create and apply innovative technologies to study host-pathogen interactions and fuel the development of novel vaccines and therapies.
In recognition of his work, Ploss has received the Astella’s Young Investigator Award from the Infectious Disease Society of America, the Liver Scholar Award from the American Liver Foundation, the Löffler-Frosch Prize from the German Society of Virology, Merck Irving Sigal Memorial Award from the American Society for Microbiology, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease Award, among other awards. He is also an elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Ploss, who holds a Ph.D. in immunology and microbiology from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University, was on the faculty of The Rockefeller University before joining Princeton University in 2013.
“Princeton is a phenomenal place for science,” he said, emphasizing the university’s collaborative culture and support for research. “As a biologist, it is fantastic that I can have regular exchanges with economists, social scientists, and other scholars who look at similar problems from different angles.”
Ploss highlights GHP as a prime example. “When people think of diseases, they mostly see the initial medical problem, but there are other dimensions,” he explained. “If you have a vaccine or a life-saving medication, how do you get it to people? How do you pay for it and make it accessible? And then there are political and policy issues.” Multi-faceted discussion and research are hallmarks of the popular program, which offers an undergraduate minor that blends health-focused coursework with experiential learning opportunities.
As he steps into his new GHP role, Ploss will continue to address such issues as pandemic preparedness, vaccine hesitancy, complacency regarding the development of vaccines and treatments, and health inequities on a national and international scale through his research, teaching, and stewardship.
“I want students to understand, early on, that they can contribute to the betterment of global health through a holistic approach,” he noted, advising them to consider many viewpoints in all aspects of their work and to take advantage of GHP’s diverse faculty and educational opportunities.
“While here at Princeton, students should learn from the experts and try to find a sub-discipline that gets them excited,” he added. “That’s how you turn your passion into a career where you can make real change.”