Alexander Alvarado

Alexander Alvarado is a second-year Microbiology and Immunology PhD student at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Currently, they work under the co-mentorship of Dr. Thomas Geisbert and Dr. Courtney Woolsey in the Galveston National Lab, focusing on generating recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vectored vaccines for New World arenaviruses like Guanarito virus, the causative agent of Venezuelan Hemorrhagic Fever. After graduation, Alexander hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of virology and public health policy, working to mitigate global disparities in the burden of infectious diseases. Prior to their enrollment at UTMB, they received their Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2023. At UTMB, they also serve as president of the Microbiology and Immunology Student Organization and as a member of the Student Health and Counseling Governance Committee. In their spare time, Alexander, an avid reader, also enjoys hiking and playing tennis.