School of Humanities and Sciences
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Rafael Rivera Lugo
Postdoctoral Scholar, Biology
BioRafael Rivera-Lugo is a Stanford Science Fellow postdoctoral associate in the Department of Biology and the ChEM-H Institute at Stanford University, where he works in the laboratory of Christine Jacobs-Wagner. His postdoctoral research focuses on how the Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi establishes infection using novel mouse models to dissect the immune and cellular mechanisms that drive tissue pathology during infection. He is also developing metabolically active, non-replicating bacterial platforms for vaccine applications.
Rafael completed his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, in the laboratory of Daniel A. Portnoy. His doctoral work revealed how the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes acquires and utilizes flavins (riboflavin derivatives) during infection, reshaping our understanding of bacterial metabolism and immune evasion. This work produced multiple high-impact publications in journals including PNAS, eLife, Nature, and mBio, and was recognized with the Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award and the Nicholas Cozzarelli Prize. He received his B.S. in Biology and Biotechnology, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of Puerto Rico at Ponce.
Beyond research, Rafael is deeply committed to expanding access to scientific careers. He has mentored students from historically underserved communities through programs at Stanford and UC Berkeley, co-founded organizations to support peers navigating academic science, and has been a consistent advocate for creating welcoming and rigorous scientific environments for all students.
