Ian Voorhees

I was born and raised in Alaska and earned my Bachelor of Arts from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. While in Portland, I also worked at as research assistant at Oregon Health & Science University studying marine microbiology before coming to Cornell in 2015 to begin my graduate studies.
In this project I was interested in the molecular and epidemiological processes that underlie viral cross-species transmission, evolution, and emergence. Over the course of my Ph.D. research, I used viruses of dogs as model systems for understanding these processes in detail. My work was primarily focused on three significant and recently emerged pathogens of dogs: canine influenza viruses (H3N8 and H3N2 subtypes) and canine parvovirus. Specifically, I developed virus full genome and deep sequencing techniques to dissect the macro- and micro-evolutionary processes involved in viral host adaptation, integrating data from both natural and experimental systems. While this work gave me experience in areas such as next generation sequencing, phylogenetics, bioinformatics, and mammalian cell and virus culture systems, just as importantly, it also encouraged me to develop collaborations with specialists in different fields ranging from structural biology to epidemiology and veterinary diagnostics. I believe gaining a complete understanding of virus evolution and emergence involves a multidisciplinary approach.

Outside of research, I enjoy getting outdoors to sail, fish, and hike with my dog. I found Cornell to be a unique environment – one which offers world class scientific research and facilities as well as beautiful and accessible natural areas.