Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Martha Nelson, PhD

About

Picture of Martha Nelson, PhD

Martha Nelson, PhD

Stadtman Tenure Track Investigator, Computational Biology Branch

Research in my group aims to understand viral emergence, using large-scale genomic sequence data and phylodynamic approaches to study rapidly evolving RNA viruses (e.g., influenza A virus) that host-switch from animal reservoirs to humans to cause global pandemics.

Contact Information

Building 38A, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894

Tel: 301- 480- 6924

martha.nelson@nih.gov

Research Interests

Rapidly evolving RNA viruses present an ongoing challenge for human health. Influenza is one of the most challenges viruses to control because new genetic variants continuously emerge that are drug resistant, mismatch vaccine strains, or are derived from animals and unrecognized by the human immune system, leading to major global pandemics.

Next-generation sequencing offers high-resolution insights into the selective pressures that drive adaptations in influenza and other RNA viruses as they transmit over time and space and following host-switches. However, utilizing the full potential of genomic data requires new computational tools, databases that integrate genomic data and other types of metadata (e.g., host mobility, virus phenotype), and trusted collaborations with researchers collecting sensitive data in real world settings.

To address these challenges, our lab develops new phylodynamic approaches for computational analysis, constructs new integrative databases for the scientific community, and builds long-term international research collaborations with virologists, veterinarians, and clinicians collecting pathogen samples on seven continents -- from penguins in Antarctica to dairy cows in Minnesota to children in Nicaragua. By integrating data collected from wildlife, livestock, and humans, we aim to study entire disease systems within a One Health framework, advancing our fundamental knowledge of virus evolution and emergence.

Biography

Dr. Martha Nelson is a Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator at the National Library of Medicine. Prior to coming to NLM, Dr. Nelson developed a genomic epidemiology research program at NIAID and the Fogarty International Center. She has published over 100 scientific papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell. Her research has been featured in the New York Times, Scientific American, National Geographic, and other media outlets.

Publications

More