PhD
Professor, Oliver Smithies Investigator
UNC-Chapel Hill
Virology
Area of Interest
Throughout evolution, humans have been challenged by viral pathogens new to the species. For the most part, our immune system mounts an adequate response that protects us from the fatal consequences of infection. However, in some instances viruses can circumvent the immune system and cause fatal diseases such as cancer (EBV, KSHV, HCV), hemorrhagic fever (Ebola virus) and AIDS (HIV). Understanding the host pathogen relationship at a molecular level provides rational approaches to therapy and vaccine development. In addition, it also provides a better understanding of human biology and immunology. We are interested in how human viruses cause human cancer, how HIV causes AIDS and why the immune system is not able to control viral infections. Our working hypothesis is that specific viral genes are the key determinants of viral pathogenesis and are responsible for disease progression. To evaluate the role of these genes in disease progression, we have developed in vitro and in vivo models that recapitulate specific aspects of viral infection. Our emphasis has been placed on humanized mice as models where human specific pathogens can be studied and where novel therapeutic interventions can be evaluated. For example, lymphotropic viruses are responsible for a vast number of human cancers. Unfortunately, their study has been severely limited due to fact that the majority of these viruses do not infect other mammals. Thus the lack of animal models susceptible to infection by these human viruses has severely limited our ability to develop novel treatments and effective vaccines. Our laboratory has established novel animal models that recapitulate key aspect of infection by human-specific viruses such as CMV, Zika, RSV, EBV, HIV, HHV-8 and dengue virus. We are currently using these systems to evaluate novel interventions to treat and/or prevent the devastating diseases caused by these agents.
Awards and Honors
- Oliver Smithies Investigator
- American Academy of Microbiology Fellow
- American Society for Microbiology Diversity Lecture
- American Society for Cell Biology E. E. Just Lecture
- International Society for Neurovirology and Society for Neuroimme pharmacology Opendra Narayan Lecture
News and Stories
Gut microbiome can increase risk, severity of HIV, EBV disease
UNC researchers report that the gut microbiome has a significant impact on the acquisition of Epstein-Barr virus and human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection and plays a role in the course of disease.
UNC Lineberger member to collaborate to create long-acting HIV antiretroviral formulations
UNC Lineberger's J. Victor Garcia, PhD, the Oliver Smithies Investigator, professor of medicine, and a member of the UNC Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and the UNC Center for AIDS Research, is a co-investigator for a project that aims to provide long-lasting HIV treatment and/or protection from a single injection. Angela Wahl, PhD, Rahima Benhabbour, PhD, and Martina Kovarova, PhD, are collaborating to lead the work, which is funded by a $3.8-million NIH grant.
