Dr. Stefan L. Oliver is a leading virologist and structural biologist whose research focuses on understanding virus–host interactions and the structural organization of viral complexes within infected cells. As Lead Scientist at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, he directs laboratory operations and research programs centered on the tomographic reconstruction and segmentation of macromolecular assemblies in situ, particularly investigating the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) using advanced cryo-focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (cryoFIB/SEM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET). His work integrates cutting-edge imaging technologies with molecular virology to elucidate the ultrastructural mechanisms of viral infection, replication, and pathogenesis. At the Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Oliver’s research advances the understanding of viral morphogenesis and host cell remodeling during infection, contributing to the broader field of structural virology. His studies provide critical insights into how viral particles assemble and interact with cellular machinery at the nanoscale level. In addition to his research, Dr. Oliver serves as an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Microbiology – Virology and has guest-edited a special issue of Viruses on “Virus-Induced Syncytia,” highlighting his active role in advancing scholarly communication within the virology research community.
Featured Publications:
Oliver, S. L., Chen, M., Engel, L., Hecksel, C. W., Zhou, X., Schmid, M. F., Arvin, A. M., & Chiu, W. (2025). Cryogenic electron tomography redefines herpesvirus capsid assembly intermediates inside the cell nucleus. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.06.27.661840
Engel, L., Zaoralova, Z., Dunn, A. R., & Oliver, S. L. (2025). Extracellular filaments revealed by affinity capture cryoelectron tomography of lymphocytes. Nature Communications, 16, 9802. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64795-z
Zhou, M., Vollmer, B., Machala, E., Chen, M., Grünewald, K., Arvin, A. M., Chiu, W., & Oliver, S. L. (2023). Targeted mutagenesis of the herpesvirus fusogen central helix captures transition states. Nature Communications, 14(1), 7958. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43011-w
Alexander, L. T., Lepore, R., Kryshtafovych, A., et al. (2021). Target highlights in CASP14: Analysis of models by structure providers. Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics. https://doi.org/10.1002/prot.26247
Oliver, S. L., Xing, Y., Chen, D. H., Roh, S. H., Pintilie, G. D., Bushnell, D. A., Sommer, M. H., Yang, E., Carfi, A., Chiu, W., & Arvin, A. M. (2021). The N-terminus of varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein B has a functional role in fusion. PLoS Pathogens, 17(3), e1008961. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1008961
Zhou, M., Kamarshi, V., Arvin, A. M., & Oliver, S. L. (2020). Calcineurin phosphatase activity regulates varicella-zoster virus-induced cell-cell fusion. PLoS Pathogens, 16(11), e1009022. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1009022
Oliver, S. L., Xing, Y., Chen, D., Roh, S. H., Pintilie, G. D., Bushnell, D. A., Sommer, M. H., Yang, E., Carfi, A., Chiu, W., & Arvin, A. M. (2020). A glycoprotein B-neutralizing antibody structure at 2.8Å uncovers a critical domain for herpesvirus fusion initiation. Nature Communications, 11(1), 4141. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17911-0
Yang, E., Gardner, M. R., Zhou, A. S., Farzan, M., Arvin, A. M., & Oliver, S. L. (2018). HIV-1 inhibitory properties of eCD4-Igmim2 determined using an Env-mediated membrane fusion assay. PLoS ONE, 13(10), e0206365. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0206365
Yang, E., Arvin, A. M., & Oliver, S. L. (2017). The glycoprotein B cytoplasmic domain lysine cluster is critical for varicella-zoster virus cell-cell fusion regulation and infection. Journal of Virology, 91(4), e01707-16. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.01707-16