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Research Interests:
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Current research is focused on development of new methods to control acute viral diseases of man and domestic animals. Target diseases include foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), an important exotic disease of domestic animals, and flavivirus diseases of man (Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, and dengue), which are responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Effective control measures, including vaccines, exist for some of these diseases (FMD and JE) but they remain major problems. The other diseases are emerging public health concerns that require new control methods. The lab is addressing these problems at multiple levels, ranging from detailed study on the replication of the RNA genomes of these viruses to the genetic changes that accompany the appearance of new outbreak strains. Our approaches include development of genetically engineered viruses to evaluate the role of individual sequences on replication and pathogenicity, development and use of animal models, and detailed analyses of host-cell components, including the innate immune response, that are disrupted by viral infection or hijacked for viral replication. These approaches are designed to identify new antivirals and vaccines that can aid in the control of these diseases.
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