Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD, Contributing Writer

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY

Cynthia (Cindy) Leifer, PhD, is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell University. She teaches immunology to undergraduate, graduate, and veterinary students. Her research focuses on how our immune system detects infections and initiates immune responses. Her work has applications in inflammation, vaccines, and autoimmune diseases. An author of over 50 scientific articles and book chapters, she also has science communication experience across various media platforms. She has had op-eds featured in CNN, Huffington Post, and Pacific Standard, and has been interviewed on radio and television, both nationally and internationally, about vaccines and vaccine safety, including those for COVID-19. Additionally, she has discussed vaccine policies and other related issues with school boards, local and state politicians, and has spoken at community forums addressing vaccine controversies and vaccine hesitancy. Furthermore, she organizes and leads workshops on science communication. She is the president-elect of the Society for Leukocyte Biology, the Director of Graduate Studies for Cornell’s Biomedical and Biological Sciences PhD program, and a host on the microbe.tv show “Immune.”