Ian Lipkin, a pioneering experimental pathologist at Columbia University, is best known for discovering over 2,000 viruses during his extensive career in pathogen research. Interestingly, his initial academic interests were in anthropology and theater, not medicine or science. A pivotal encounter with organic chemistry redirected him toward public health and medical research.
After medical training involving primary care and neurology residencies—experiences that included working with resource-limited populations and treating neuroimmune diseases—Lipkin witnessed the emergence of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco in 1981. This exposure fueled his interest in infectious diseases affecting the nervous system, leading him to explore treatments such as plasmapheresis for HIV-related neuropathies.
Lipkin’s passion for the infectious causes of neurological disorders grew at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and later at Scripps Research, where a fortunate miscommunication helped him join Michael Oldstone’s lab. There, he used genetic techniques to identify viruses, such as the Bornavirus, marking a milestone in pathogen detection.
In 1999, Lipkin identified West Nile Virus as the cause of fatal encephalitis cases in New York through advanced molecular methods. His lab at Columbia University later developed innovative tools like MassTag PCR and microarrays to detect multiple pathogens simultaneously, which helped identify new viruses, including SARS coronavirus during the 2003 outbreak in China, where Lipkin played a direct role in diagnostics and containment.
Lipkin’s work expanded into complex conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD), investigating environmental factors, and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), where his team found immune dysfunction signatures possibly linked to infectious agents.
Beyond science, Lipkin is celebrated for his mentorship and ability to foster collaboration across cultures and disciplines. His unique blend of scientific rigor, communication skills, and personal warmth have made him a central figure in modern infectious disease research.
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