Former Stanford professor Nathan Wolfe ’92 planned sexual behavior research, described interns with Epstein

Editor’s Note: The Stanford Daily’s team of reporters and editors is currently working to review Department of Justice documents released this weekend for connections between Stanford, Silicon Valley and Jeffrey Epstein. We welcome your confidential tips here or at eic@stanforddaily.com.

Virologist and former Stanford human biology professor Nathan Wolfe ’92 wrote to convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein about interns — referring to their physical attractiveness — and plans for research into sexual behavior in emails released by the Department of Justice Friday and reviewed by The Daily.

The documents, in which Wolfe’s full name appears 589 times, reveal a longstanding friendship between the two men over multiple decades. Their correspondence included event invitations, discussion of Wolfe’s relationship status and exchanges regarding “female viagra.”

The Daily has reached out to Wolfe for comment.

In December 2010, Wolfe emailed Epstein inviting him to a “fun dinner” with Erez Kalir ’93, a “brilliant guy who you’d enjoy,” and “a couple of hottie interns from WEF, etc.” Kalir is an investor and entrepreneur, while WEF could refer to the World Economic Forum, where Wolfe was named a Young Global Leader from 2010 to 2015. 

Five months earlier, Wolfe also wrote to Epstein and Epstein’s assistant Lesley Groff with updates on his ongoing research projects, which included “research aimed at developing a female viagra.” Wolfe then offered to “hang out sometime.”

Wolfe’s apparent interest in female sexual drive led him in March 2013 to send Epstein a link to an article about a medical case of “unrelenting sex drive.” He drew Epstein’s attention to a particular quotation from the article: “she felt constantly aroused, often with no stimulation at all.” In that same email, Wolfe asked Epstein whether he was “around to plot?”

A few weeks later, Wolfe forwarded five studies to Epstein to “show how sexual behavior questionnaires have been validated.” His message projected confidence that “we can get good data” on sexual behavior changes, seemingly alluding to a potential research project.

Wolfe made his plans for a research study explicit in May 2013, writing to Epstein about testing “[their] horny virus hypothesis” with an experiment he believed would interest Epstein. A “real-time study in undergrads,” which he devised with a colleague at the University of Michigan, would link “sexual behavior and microbial diversity.” The study, Wolfe wrote, “hits the sweet spot of what we’ve been thinking about (so to speak).”

The message seemingly doubled as a request for Epstein to support the study. “We should move towards a go/no-go regarding your funding on this hypothesis,” Wolfe wrote.

An undated research proposal from the files also discusses “a female ‘viagra’” development study, with objectives to “identify and obtain specimens from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) expected to alter host sexual behavior” and “determine which of the procured STIs have the potential to increase female sexual drive.” No author is named on the document.

Epstein’s discussions of female viagra and sexual behavior were not limited to Wolfe.

In 2017, he shared news coverage of Valeant’s decision to divest from a unit producing “female viagra” with Columbia urologist Harry Fisch. Another message from Harvard statistician Donald Rubin mentioned a “female viagra issue.”

Wolfe’s LinkedIn profile currently describes him as a Visiting Scholar at the Quake Lab in Stanford’s Department of Bioengineering. He was formerly the Lorry I. Lokey Visiting Professor in Human Biology at Stanford and founded the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative in 2007. He has since held various positions across academia and advised technology companies.

The Daily has reached out to the University regarding its current relationship with Wolfe, and whether Stanford had any knowledge of Wolfe’s planned study or ties to Epstein.

A public acknowledgement of Wolfe and Epstein’s relationship came when Wolfe referenced Epstein in his 2012 book The Viral Storm, as a “loyal and generous [friend]” who kindly contributed [his] valuable time and unique skills.” A New Yorker article profiling Wolfe also appears in the files.

The two men maintained their connection well after Epstein pled guilty to state felony minor prostitution charges in 2008.

In an email signoff to Epstein three years later, Wolfe urged his friend “never to let the bastards get you down.”

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