Bettina C. Fries, MD
Diana Briann Lawson Endowed Professorship in Medicine
Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine
Fungal pathogens can change during chronic infections in ways that make them more resistant to treatment. Bettina C. Fries, MD, studies fungal pathogenesis and antibody biology, with research focused on how Cryptococcus neoformans changes during chronic infection. Her laboratory was among the first to show that replicative aging generates heterogeneity in fungal populations and leads to a resilient phenotype, with older cells able to resist antifungal treatment and the host immune response.
Fries’ group has studied replicative aging in Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida glabrata and Candida auris, showing that aging can remodel the fungal cell wall and alter the ergosterol pathway and efflux pump activity. Her antibody research focuses on developing monoclonal antibodies against carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella, and identifying cross-reactive epitopes could serve as lead vaccine targets.
Fries joined Stony Brook University in 2014 and is a SUNY distinguished professor in the Department of Medicine. She also serves as chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. Her honors include election as a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, American Academy of Microbiology, American College of Physicians and American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2024, she received the Renaissance School of Medicine Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award.
In 2026, Fries received the Diana Briann Lawson Endowed Professorship in Medicine, recognizing a career that combines infectious disease research, clinical leadership and mentorship.
