Einstein Experts

Liise-anne Pirofski, M.D.

Professor, Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Einstein

Professor, Microbiology & Immunology, Einstein

Selma and Dr. Jacques Mitrani Chair in Biomedical Research, Einstein

Chief, Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Einstein and Montefiore Health System

Infectious diseasesConvalescent plasmaCOVID-19PneumoniaImmunologyBacterial infections

A leading physician-scientist, Dr. Pirofski studies vaccine and antibody mediated immunity to infectious diseases, including cryptococcosis (the leading cause of fungal meningitis globally), pneumococcal pneumonia, and COVID-19. Her work has identified novel ways by which antibodies protect against pneumonia and the spread of fungal infections. She has spearheaded studies to understand the antibody response to the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.

Dr. Pirofski is co-author of the “damage-response framework of microbial pathogenesis,” a novel theory that incorporates the role of the host into the outcome of host-microbe interactions and infectious diseases.

As chief of the division of infectious diseases, Dr. Pirofski helped lead the Einstein and Montefiore response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also co-authored a widely-cited commentary in the Journal of Clinical Investigation proposing the use of convalescent plasma as a potential treatment for COVID-19 and is leading Einstein and Montefiore’s participation in a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial to test the efficacy of convalescent plasma in hospitalized patients.

Dr. Pirofski, who has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health throughout her career, is a member of the American Association of Physicians and a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, American College of Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has received numerous awards for her accomplishments, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Alumni Association and the American Society for Microbiology’s William A. Hinton Award, which honors outstanding contributions toward fostering the research training of underrepresented minorities in microbiology.

Additional Areas of Expertise

Antibody immunity, Epidemics, Fungal infections, Immunotherapy, Infections in immunocompromised patients, Microbial pathogenesis, Microbial pathogenesis, Monoclonal antibodies, Monoclonal antibodies, Pathogenesis of infectious diseases, Vaccines