Virology labs of the department use cutting edge in vitro and in vivo model systems to understand viral diseases and the host response to these diseases. Research includes:
- Replication and pathogenesis of Coronaviruses
- How enteroviruses usurp the cellular pathway of autophagy to promote their own replication and exit from cells.
- Cellular and molecular host responses to viruses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and to cancer
- Pre-clinical vaccine design, development and testing to respiratory viruses such as influenza and coronaviruses
Overarching goals are to identify therapeutic strategies for the treatment of diseases caused by viruses and identify correlates of protection for vaccines against viral pathogens.
Related Information
The Frieman Lab
The overall research goal of Dr. Matthew Frieman's lab is to create therapeutic interventions for viruses of public health concern by developing a detailed understanding of how the viruses interact with the host. The lab's research has focused on the recently emerged and highly pathogenic coronaviruses: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Both viruses cause severe lung disease and are highly lethal, yet there are no FDA-approved therapeutics that target them.