In the past decade alone, the emergence and spread of multiple zoonotic viruses has significantly impacted human health, healthcare infrastructure, and sociopolitical environments. My research program uses innovative virological and bioengineering techniques to study host-pathogen interactions, viral adaptation, and pathogenesis. Specifically, our lab utilizes drop-based microfluidics to investigate single cell heterogeneity during virus infection.
My lab is focused on three complementary trajectories:
1. Characterizing evolutionary processes of mutation and selection that contribute to virulence and transmission of viral pathogens
2. Development of novel tissue culture systems to study host pathogen interactions
and
3. Interrogating IAV infections in primary duck and chicken gut and lung cell organoid models
Overall, we aim to develop new single cell models of infection using drop-based microfluidics to understand viral genetic diversity, zoonotic risk, and virus adaptation in a high-throughput manner.
1. Characterizing evolutionary processes of mutation and selection that contribute to virulence and transmission of viral pathogens
2. Development of novel tissue culture systems to study host pathogen interactions
and
3. Interrogating IAV infections in primary duck and chicken gut and lung cell organoid models
Overall, we aim to develop new single cell models of infection using drop-based microfluidics to understand viral genetic diversity, zoonotic risk, and virus adaptation in a high-throughput manner.