Ina studies the dynamics of medicinal plant knowledge and use for primary healthcare by local communities in remote rural areas, as well as by Latino and Caribbean immigrants in New York City. Her research shows that, even in times of general loss of biological and cultural diversity worldwide, the use of plants as medicines remains popular in many communities today.

In the past decade, Kartik and his group have focused on understanding how Ebola virus coöpts the intricate molecular mechanisms of our very own cells to invade them and turn them into virus-producing factories. They have discovered human genes that (unwittingly) act as Ebola’s GPS system, helping to orient it as it threads its way through the convoluted alleyways of the cell.