World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
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Microbiology
USA
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Microbiology

D-Index
126
Citations
51667
World Ranking
99
National Ranking
49

Molecular Biology

D-Index
125
Citations
50782
World Ranking
228
National Ranking
138

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Microbiology in United States Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Microbiology in United States Leader Award
  • 2018 - Fellow, National Academy of Inventors
  • 2002 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 1996 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences

Overview

Thomas Shenk is affiliated with Princeton University in the United States. Their research centers primarily on the fields of Medicine and Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with a particular focus on epidemiology and molecular biology. Subfields of note within their work include geriatrics and gerontology, genetics, and oncology.

The scientist's research explores several main topics, including cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research, sirtuins and resveratrol in medicine, virus-based gene therapy research, DNA repair mechanisms, RNA modifications and cancer, herpesvirus infections and treatments, as well as autophagy in disease and therapy.

Thomas Shenk has contributed to multiple papers, including:

  1. HSATII RNA is induced via a noncanonical ATM-regulated DNA damage response pathway and promotes tumor cell proliferation and movement, 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  2. An allosteric inhibitor of sirtuin 2 deacetylase activity exhibits broad-spectrum antiviral activity, 2023, Journal of Clinical Investigation
  3. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor facilitates the human cytomegalovirus-mediated G1/S block to cell cycle progression, 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  4. An allosteric inhibitor of sirtuin 2 blocks hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA establishment and its transcriptional activity, 2024, Antiviral Research
  5. The Story behind the Science: On the discovery of respiratory syncytial virus, 2025, mBio

The researcher frequently publishes in venues such as UNC Libraries, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Antiviral Research, and mBio.

Collaborations have been frequent with multiple coauthors, including:

  • Lillian W. Chiang
  • Stacy Remiszewski
  • John L. Kulp
  • Maciej T. Nogalski
  • Nathaniel J. Moorman

Thomas Shenk has been recognized through several awards, including election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002, membership in the National Academy of Sciences since 1996, and fellowship in the National Academy of Inventors in 2018.

Best Publications

  • Transcriptional repression by YY1, a human GLI-Krüppel-related protein, and relief of repression by adenovirus E1A protein.

    Yang Shi;Edward Seto;Long Sheng Chang;Thomas Shenk

  • Helper-free stocks of recombinant adeno-associated viruses: normal integration does not require viral gene expression.

    R J Samulski;L S Chang;T Shenk

  • Second-strand synthesis is a rate-limiting step for efficient transduction by recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors.

    Forrest K. Ferrari;Thaddeus Samulski;Thomas Shenk;Richard Jude Samulski

  • Isolation of adenovirus type 5 host range deletion mutants defective for transformation of rat embryo cells

    Nicholas Jones;Thomas Shenk

  • An adenovirus type 5 early gene function regulates expression of other early viral genes

    N. Jones;Thomas Eugene Shenk

  • Increased anxiety of mice lacking the serotonin1A receptor

    Christopher L. Parks;Patricia S. Robinson;Etienne Sibille;Thomas Eugene Shenk

  • Nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling of the hdm2 oncoprotein regulates the levels of the p53 protein via a pathway used by the human immunodeficiency virus rev protein

    Judith Roth;Matthias Dobbelstein;Deborah A. Freedman;Thomas Shenk

  • The sequence 5′-AAUAAA-3′ forms part of the recognition site for polyadenylation of late SV40 mRNAs

    Molly Fitzgerald;Thomas Eugene Shenk

  • Identification of Proteins in Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) Particles: the HCMV Proteome

    Susan M. Varnum;Daniel N. Streblow;Matthew E. Monroe;Patricia Smith

  • Wild-type p53 binds to the TATA-binding protein and represses transcription.

    Edward Seto;Anny Usheva;Gerard P. Zambetti;Jamil Momand

  • Systems-level metabolic flux profiling identifies fatty acid synthesis as a target for antiviral therapy

    Joshua Munger;Bryson D Bennett;Anuraag Parikh;Xiao-Jiang Feng

  • Coding potential of laboratory and clinical strains of human cytomegalovirus

    Eain Murphy;Dong Yu;Jane Grimwood;Jeremy Schmutz

  • Adenovirus tripartite leader sequence enhances translation of mRNAs late after infection

    John Logan;Thomas Shenk

  • Human cytomegalovirus virion protein complex required for epithelial and endothelial cell tropism

    Dai Wang;Thomas Shenk

  • Human cytomegalovirus IE1 and IE2 proteins block apoptosis.

    H Zhu;Y Shen;T Shenk

  • Cellular gene expression altered by human cytomegalovirus: Global monitoring with oligonucleotide arrays

    Hua Zhu;Jian Ping Cong;Gargi Mamtora;Thomas Gingeras

  • A recombinant plasmid from which an infectious adeno-associated virus genome can be excised in vitro and its use to study viral replication.

    R. J. Samulski;L. S. Chang;Thomas Eugene Shenk

  • YY1 is an initiator sequence-binding protein that directs and activates transcription in vitro.

    Edward Seto;Yang Shi;Yang Shi;Thomas Shenk

  • Functional map of human cytomegalovirus AD169 defined by global mutational analysis.

    Dong Yu;Maria C. Silva;Thomas Shenk

  • Adenovirus VAI RNA is required for efficient translation of viral mRNAs at late times after infection.

    Bayar Thimmappaya;Cary Weinberger;Robert J. Schneider;Thomas Shenk

Frequent Co-Authors

Arnold J. Levine
Arnold J. Levine Institute for Advanced Study
Arturo Casadevall
Arturo Casadevall Johns Hopkins University
Joshua D. Rabinowitz
Joshua D. Rabinowitz Princeton University
Ileana M. Cristea
Ileana M. Cristea Princeton University
Roger J. Davis
Roger J. Davis University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School
Thomas J. Silhavy
Thomas J. Silhavy Princeton University
Michael J. Buchmeier
Michael J. Buchmeier University of California, Irvine
Ferric C. Fang
Ferric C. Fang University of Washington
Louis B. Rice
Louis B. Rice Brown University
Harold L. Drake
Harold L. Drake University of Bayreuth

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