Joseph DeFranco

Joseph DeFranco is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Telling Lab at Colorado State University (CSU). His research focuses on the molecular basis for prion strain propagation, peripheral pathogenesis, and interspecies transmission. He is currently an IDRRTP T32 NIH fellow. During his time at CSU, Joe has been selected for the DARPA Riser and Anschutz Pandemic Resilience Graduate Fellowships (2021-2023). Before his time at CSU, he previously served as a CDC/APHL COVID-19 fellow, a Scholar Fellow of the Defense Operational Cognitive Sciences section of the Strategic Multilayer Assessment Branch (Joint Staff, Pentagon), and a Donovan Group Biosecurity Fellow at the U.S. Special Operations Command. He has previous research laboratory experience at the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases and the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study. Joe is from the northern Virginia area and enjoys golf, live music, and triathlon training.