Benjamin tenOever

Benjamin tenOever studies virus–host interactions, antiviral defense, and the use of engineered viruses as tools for biological inquiry.

Academic profile

Benjamin tenOever, PhD, is Chair of the Department of Microbiology, Director of the NYU Langone Virology Institute, Jan T. Vilcek Professor of Molecular Pathogenesis, and Professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. His graduate training was at McGill University and his postdoctoral training was at Harvard University.

Positions and education are sourced to the NYU faculty profile, checked September 26, 2026. The institutional profile also provides current contact information.

The scientific program

The tenOever laboratory studies the antiviral response as a system with settings rather than a switch. Two decades of work ask which components of the interferon response engage, how quickly, in which cells, and what running that program costs the organism. A second line treats the virus itself as editable. Inserting host microRNA target sites, artificial small RNAs or genetic barcodes into a viral genome turns tropism, host restriction and viral output into variables inside a living animal. The two lines meet repeatedly, most clearly in the finding that vertebrates could use RNA-guided antiviral silencing and appear to have given it up.

Foundations and attribution

The reviewed corpus includes two training-period studies: Sharma 2003 in the Hiscott laboratory and tenOever 2007 in the Maniatis laboratory. These are part of the intellectual history and are identified separately from the independent laboratory’s work.

The remaining records distinguish lab-led, co-led, and collaborative studies. The site describes contributions using the reviewed source records rather than inferring leadership from authorship order.

For prospective trainees and collaborators

Start with the scientific trajectory and research questions to understand the program’s methods and intellectual development. For current opportunities and inquiries, use the contact details on the institutional profile.