Robert Orchard BS, PhD

Dr. Orchard received his B.S. in Microbiology from Texas A&M University and was an Undergraduate Research Scholar in the laboratory of Dr. Ryland Young characterizing novel bacteriophages. He then earned his Ph.D. in the Molecular Microbiology Program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in the laboratory of Dr. Neal Alto. As a graduate student, Rob investigated the spatial and temporal dynamics of secreted bacterial effector proteins and uncovered a sophisticated level of regulation in pathogenic signaling circuits.

After graduate school, Rob began a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Herbert “Skip” Virgin at Washington University School of Medicine. There he leveraged CRISPR/Cas9 genome-wide screens to uncover host factors that regulate viral infection. In particular, Rob discovered and characterized the first norovirus protein receptor, CD300lf.