Dr. Casola is a Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Immunology. She
obtained her medical degree and completed her residency in Pediatrics at the University of Naples Federico II School of Medicine, Napoli, Italy. After a research fellowship in molecular
biology at the Child Health Research Center, Department of Pediatrics,
University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Dr. Casola completed a three
year clinical fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the same
institution. Dr. Casola's research interests involve studies of virus-epithelial
cell interactions as they relate to mucosal inflammation. In the past few years,
she has been investigating how respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) regulates CXC and
CC chemokine expression in airway epithelial cells. These studies have used
approaches to describe cis and trans control mechanisms in transcriptional
regulation of these highly inducible genes. Dr. Casola's laboratory is currently
studying several inducible intracellular signaling pathways activated by RSV in
airway epithelial cells with particular emphasis on the role of reactive oxygen
species in RSV-induced lung inflammation both in vitro and in vivo, using a
mouse model of RSV infection. Her laboratory has also initiated studies to
investigate the pathogenesis of a newly identified respiratory virus, called
human metapneumovirus (hMPV). They have developed a rodent model of infection
and are currently testing the role of specific viral protein using recombinant
hMPV, lacking the expression of single or multiple proteins, using in vitro and
in vivo approaches.
Search PubMed for Dr. Casola's publications