Amy Proal

About Amy Proal

Amy Proal, PhD is a microbiologist and expert on the molecular mechanisms by which viral, bacterial, and parasite infections drive chronic disease processes. She catalyzes breakthrough science on infection-associated chronic disease and aging, and is internationally recognized for conceptualizing and coordinating multi-institutional collaborations.As President of PolyBio, Proal has founded and led the Long COVID Research Consortium (LCRC)- a global scientific network spanning Harvard, UCSF, Mount Sinai, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, and other top research institutions. Under her leadership, LCRC rapidly accelerated research into the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in human tissue and its role in Long COVID. Since 2021, PolyBio has raised more than $42 million to catalyze over 50 cutting-edge projects and multiple clinical trials on Long COVID and chronic tick-borne/vector-borne illness. Proal has been published in leading scientific journals including Nature Immunology, The Lancet Infectious Diseases and her work has been covered by the New York Times, LA Times, NPR, Forbes, WSJ, the Atlantic, and USA Today.Proal also serves as Scientific Director of the Mount Sinai Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness, where she bridges laboratory research with patient care and clinical trial innovation for conditions such as Long COVID, ME/CFS, and Chronic Lyme disease.Proal holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Georgetown University and a PhD in Microbiology from Murdoch University in Australia. She is a widely cited scientific author, international speaker, and frequent collaborator with scientists on four continents.

Experience

1. Chief Executive Officer

   Polybio Research Foundation

   Jan 2018 — Present · Medford, MA, US

Education

• Georgetown University

  Bachelor's degree, Biology, General

• Murdoch University

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Microbiology, General