Stephen C. Harrison

Stephen C. Harrison is the Giovanni Armenise–Harvard Professor of Basic Biomedical Science in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School and an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and his Ph.D. in biophysics from Harvard University. Harrison's research program centers on structural virology, employing X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate the molecular architecture and assembly pathways of viruses. His pioneering work has provided foundational insights into the capsid structures of bacteriophages and pathogenic human viruses, including those causing gastroenteritis. A major theme of his laboratory is understanding how viral components self-assemble into functional particles and how these processes can be targeted for therapeutic intervention. His recent investigations extend to influenza neuraminidases and dengue virus particles, contributing to vaccine design strategies. Harrison's contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including election to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. With an h-index of 129 and over 500 publications, his work continues to define key principles in structural biology and virology, bridging fundamental discovery with biomedical application.