Dr. Arjun Rustagi is dedicated to understanding the early immune responses to infections, and the methods pathogens use to persist despite these responses, in order to inform new prevention and treatment strategies. His research has focused on viral pathogenesis and immunity. He set up the respiratory viral biosafety level 3 (BSL3) program at Stanford in early 2020 in order to study SARS-CoV-2, contributing to several projects in SARS-CoV-2 virology including a study of intact in vitro lung tissue infection. He also protocoled the first peripheral immune profiling study of severe COVID-19.