Postdoctoral Scientist |
Email Address |
Laboratory |
Dr. Byung C. Ahn
|
bahn@lsuhsc.edu
|
O'Callaghan
|
|
Dr. Ahn is investigating the molecular biology of alphaherpesvirus gene regulation. His goal is to identify cellular proteins that bind to elements in the promoter of a key viral gene and thereby influence the expression of a major viral regulatory protein. Part of his work concerns the possible role of anti-sense viral RNA molecules in viral gene programming. |
Dr. Munish K. Ahuja
|
mahuja@lsuhsc.edu
|
Hutt-Fletcher
|
Dr. Ahuja will investigate the role of Epstein-Barr virus glycoproteins in entry and assembly of virus. |
Dr. Malgorzata Bienkowska-Haba
|
mbienk@lsuhsc.edu
|
Sapp
|
Dr. Bienkowska-Haba is investigating the intracellular trafficking of human papillomavirus during infection. Her focus is the identification of cellular compartments which are targeted by the minor capsid protein L2 and investigation of L2's role in intracytoplasmic trafficking and nuclear translocation of the viral genome. |
Dr. Gary C.T. Chan
|
gchan@lsuhsc.edu
|
Yurochko
|
Dr. Chan is investigating the molecular changes in monocytes that promote viral dissemination and are associated with viral pathogenesis. |
Dr. Harish Changotra
|
hchang@lsuhsc.edu |
Karst
|
Dr. Changotra is studying the molecular mechanisms of replication of noroviruses. His goal is to determine if the RNA genome of murine norovirus 1, MNV-1, adopts a lariat conformation during intracellular viral replication and, if so, what the function of this structure is. He is also involved in a project to understand the mechanism(s) by which Type I interferon signaling inhibits MNV-1 replication. |
Dr. Liudmila S. Chesnokova
|
lchesn@lsuhsc.edu
|
Hutt-Fletcher
|
Dr. Chesnokova's research focuses on the entry of Epstein-Barr virus into epithelial cells. Her goal is to identify the epithelial cell coreceptor that interacts with the virus glycoproteins gH and gL and facilitates fusion between the virus envelope and the cell membrane. |
Dr. Ru Jiang
|
rjiang@lsuhsc.edu
|
Hutt-Fletcher
|
Dr. Jiang is researching the roles played by Epstein-Barr virus glycoproteins in virus transmission, tropism and spread within the host.
|
Dr. Runfeng Jing |
rjing@lsuhsc.edu |
Stokes |
Based on the key role platelets play in cardiovascular disease, Dr Jing’s work is focused on how platelets may be activated during CMV infection. Her goal is to identify the mechanisms that underlie the contribution of platelets to the microvascular dysfunction that is observed during cytomegalovirus infection. |
Dr. Mikhail Khoretonenko |
mkhore@lsuhsc.edu |
Stokes |
Dr. Khoretonenko is investigating the pro-inflammatory potential of cytomegalovirus with a view to understanding how this virus contributes to cardiovascular disease. His primary focus is the role of endothelium-platelet interactions in vascular responses to CMV infection either alone or in combination with other cardiovascular risk factors.
|
Dr. Seong-man Kim |
skim5@lsuhsc.edu |
Sapp |
Dr. Kim is studying the early events of papillomavirus infection including virus and receptor interactions. |
Dr. Haiyan Li
|
hli@lsuhsc.edu
|
Tibbetts
|
Dr. Li is investigating the molecular biology of chronic gammaherpesvirus infection. She is using mutant viruses that are replication-defective to establish in vivo and in vitro systems to study latency. Her goals are to define and characterize novel viral genes that are involved in latency and pathogenesis, and to determine some of the molecular mechanisms used by host cells to govern the establishment of latency. |
Dr. Ravi Kumar Patnaikuni
|
rpatna@lsuhsc.edu
|
Klimstra
|
Dr. Patnaikuni will investigate the mechanisms of action of type I interferon-induced antiviral genes. |
Dr. Jun (Tracy) Yin
|
jyin@lsuhsc.edu
|
Ryman
|
| Dr. Yin will assess and optimize the use of alphaviruses as oncolytic viruses for cancer gene therapy. |
Dr. Fangfang Zhang |
|
Sixbey |
| The cellular transcription factor Pax5 has been implicated in the commitment of lymphoid progenitors to the B lymphocyte lineage, in the transcriptional control of B cell development and function, and as a contributor to human B cell malignancies when deregulated by chromosomal translocation. Dr. Zhang is studying the interaction of the Epstein-Barr virus lytic cycle protein Zta with Pax5 in regard to pathological implications it may have at this stage of the virus life cycle. |
Dr. Yugen Zhang
|
yzhan1@lsuhsc.edu
|
Ryman
|
| Dr. Zhang will investigate the role of the innate immune response (particularly type I interferon) in the control of alphavirus virulence. His goals are to characterize the interferon induction mechanism(s) and to identify potential viral interferon antagonists. |
Dr. Yunfei Zhang
|
yzhang1@lsuhsc.edu
|
O'Callaghan
|
| Dr. Zhang is investigating the mechanism by which the trans-activation domain of the major regulatory protein of equine herpesvirus-1 functions. |
