Gary Whittaker, PhD
James Law Professor of Virology
Director of Graduate Studies, Graduate Field of Public Health and Planetary Health
Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Department of Public & Ecosystem Health
Feline Health ResearchDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
T8-016C Veterinary Research Tower
Ithaca, NY 14853
Department of Public & Ecosystem Health
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
Ithaca, NY 14853
Profile
Research/Clinical Interests
The structure and function of viral envelope proteins—how genomic mutations lead to changes in the envelope proteins and control viral pathogenesis in influenza viruses and coronaviruses—SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and feline coronaviruses; novel vaccines and diagnostic test development.
Dr. Whittaker's FIP research is highlighted in this video.
Education
Ph.D. (University of Leeds, UK)
Biography/Professional Experience
Dr. Whittaker studied Microbiology and Biochemistry at the University of Leeds (UK). He was awarded a PhD degree in 1991, with a focus on the glycoproteins of herpesviruses. He then did post-doctoral studies on influenza virus at Yale Medical School before moving to Cornell in 1996, where his research is focused on coronaviruses of humans and animals. He is a currently a Professor in the Departments of Microbiology & Immunology and Public & Ecosystem Health
Awards and Honors
Pfizer/Zoetis Animal Health Award for Research Excellence (2001)
Professional/Academic Affiliations
Publications
Selected Publications
- Belouzard, S., Chu. V.C. and Whittaker, G.R. (2009). Activation of the SARS-coronavirus spike protein via sequential proteolytic cleavage at two distinct sites. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106: 5871-5876.
- Madu, I., Roth, S. Belouzard, S. and Whittaker, G.R. (2009). Characterization of a highly conserved domain within the SARS coronavirus spike protein S2 domain with characteristics of a viral fusion peptide. J. Virol. 83: 7411-7421.
- Licitra, B.N., Millet, J.K, Regan, A.D., Hamilton, B.S., Rinaldi, V., Duhamel, G.E. and Whittaker G.R. (2013). Mutation in spike protein cleavage site and pathogenesis of feline coronavirus. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 19: 1066-1073.
- Millet, J.K. and Whittaker, G.R. (2014). Host cell entry of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus following two-step, furin-mediated activation of spike protein. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 111: 15214-15219
- Shapira, T., Monreal, I.A., Dion, S.P., Buchholz, D.W., Imbiakha, B., Olmstead, A.D., Jager, M., Désilets, A., Gao, G., Martins, M., Vandal, T., Thompson, C.A.H., Chin, A., Rees, W.D., Steiner, T., Nabi, I.R., Marsault, E., Sahler, J., Diel, D., Van de Walle, G., August, A., Whittaker, G.R., Boudreault, P-L., Leduc, R., Aguilar, H.C., Jean, F. (2022). A TMPRSS2 inhibitor acts as a pan-SARS-CoV-2 prophylactic and therapeutic. Nature 605: 340–348.
- Tortorici, M.A., Choi, A., Gibson, C.A., Lee, J., Brown, J.T., Stewart, C., Joshi, A., Hariri, S., Willoughby, I., Treichel, C., Leaf, E.M., Bloom, J.D., King, N.P. Tait-Burkard, C., Whittaker, G.R. and Veesler, D. (2025). Loss of FCoV-23 spike domain 0 enhances fusogenicity and entry kinetics. Nature, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09155-z.
- Olarte-Castillo, X.A, Licitra, B., André, N.M., Sierra M., Mason, C., Goodman, L.B. and Whittaker, G.R. (2023). Intra-host variation in the spike S1/S2 region of a feline coronavirus type-1 in a cat with persistent infection. BIORXIV. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.31.551356v1
- Licitra, B. and Whittaker, G.R. (2023) Coronavirus infections (canine and feline) including feline infectious peritonitis, pp. 1050-1059, in Ettinger’s Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 9th edition, 2023, eds. Ettinger, S.J., Feldman E.C. and Coté, E. (Elsevier). ISBN: 9780323779319.