His research focuses on the immune system at mucosal surfaces of the female reproductive tract.
He completed his Ph.D at Dartmouth College in 1970, where he began his academic career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology.
Between 1970 and 1972, Wira pursued a postdoctoral at the University of Paris, France, where he studied the molecular mechanisms of estrogen action in the uterus.
He has also contributed to global health initiatives, including participation in a Dartmouth Medical School Fogarty Grant that facilitated training in HIV-related mucosal immunology for scientists from the University of Muhimbili, Tanzania.
He has also helped organize NIH-sponsored international meetings on HIV prevention and mucosal immunity.