|
Research Interests:
|
My research interests are in the areas of acute otitis media (AOM) and
clinical virology (respiratory viruses and enteroviruses). I have been engaged
in clinical investigations of children with AOM for almost 2 decades. The areas
of investigations have been in: bacteriology and responses to antibiotics,
virology of OM, bacterial and viral interactions, studies of inflammatory
mediators, and anti-inflammatory treatment. Our group at UTMB has made
significant contribution to the understanding of the role of viruses in the
pathogenesis and recovery of AOM. My goals are to understand better the
contribution of viruses, bacteria and their complex interactions in the
pathogenesis and recovery of OM, and to identify possible strategies for more
effective intervention against OM such as prevention of respiratory viral
infections by vaccines and/or antiviral drugs. My present research interests
include: the role of cytokine gene polymorphism in susceptibility to OM,
contribution of specific respiratory viruses to AOM, and prevention of AOM by
antiviral drug, pleconaril.
|
