Ellen F. Foxman, MD

Ellen F. Foxman, MD, PhD, is a pathologist who focuses on diagnostic testing for infectious diseases and the body’s immune response to infection.

As an associate professor of laboratory medicine and immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Foxman leads research examining how factors such as cool temperatures and oxidative stress can influence antiviral defenses. Her work aims to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of respiratory infections.

“My laboratory investigates the natural defense mechanisms that protect the airway from viral infections, focusing on the epithelial cells that form the lining of the airways,” Dr. Foxman says. “Our aim is to identify mechanisms that block viral replication and to understand why these defenses don’t always work.”

Dr. Foxman received her medical training from Stanford University School of Medicine and completed her residency in clinical pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Her achievements have been recognized with honors such as the Hartwell Foundation Individual Biomedical Research Award and the Young Physician-Scientist Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation.