Predoctoral Students

Email Address

Laboratory

Jonathan E. Breitenbach

jbreit@lsuhsc.edu

O'Callaghan

B. S., Biology, 2002, Louisiana Tech University
Research: The EICP27 protein is an early regulatory protein that acts in concert with other viral proteins to mediate expression of early and late genes of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV). My research will employ bacterial artificial chromosome and mutagenesis technology to generate a panel of EICP27 mutant viruses. These mutant viruses will be characterized to define the mechanism by which EICP27 functions. Among the questions to be addressed are: Is the EICP27 gene essential for viral replication? What are the relationships Among this protein and the other EHV regulatory proteins?

Crystal W. Burke

cwyza@lsuhsc.edu

Klimstra

B. S., Biology & Biochemistry, 2003, Jacksonville University
Research: Worldwide, the mosquito-vectored alphaviruses are important causes of disease in humans and domestic animals. Interferon induced by virus infection is an important factor in determining the severity of disease in infected hosts. Ms. Wyza is currently investigating the mechanism through which interferon alpha and interferon beta are induced after infection of cells with alphaviruses. Major goals of her research include establishment of an in vitro system in which phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of IRF-3, the primary initial mediator of interferon gene transcription can be accurately measured and subsequently, determination of the specific component of the virus replication cycle that initiates these events.

Robert A. Charvat

B.A., Biology-Chemistry, 2006, Manchester College

Research: Defective interfering particles (DIP) of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV) are capable of mediating a state of persistent infection.  The DIP genome is comprised of an origin of replication, a cleavage/packaging sequence, and only three genes: UL3, UL4, and a unique gene that is a hybrid of portions of regulatory genes IR4 and UL5.  The goals of this project are to assess the functions of the UL3 and UL4 genes in EHV cytocidal infection and to ascertain if over-expression of UL3 and/or UL4 in the context of the DIP genome contributes to the interference of infectious virus production mediated by DIP.

Carrie B. Coleman

ccolem@lsuhsc.edu

Tibbetts

B. S., Biology, 2002, The University of Tennessee at Martin
Research: Gammaherpesviruses cause infections of cells derived from the bone marrow, and are associated with numerous types of malignancies.  Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (gammaHV68) is genetically related to the human gammaherpesviruses, and provides a small animal model for mechanistic studies of the virus/host relationship in vivo .  We are currently examining the role of infection of B cells and monocytes in the bone marrow, and the effects of this infection on the pathogenesis of viral infection.  We are also defining whether these types of infections alter hematopoietic cell development and function, and determining whether these alterations are involved in the development of lymphoma.

Christina L. Gardner

cgard1@lsuhsc.edu

Ryman

B. S., Biology, 2004, Louisiana Tech University

Research:  My project investigates determinants of Alphavirus virulence and attenuation, focusing on factors that contribute to the virulence of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) such as cell tropism and resistance to host innate immune responses.  Understanding the factors that contribute to EEEV pathogenesis is important because EEEV is an emerging virus and a potential biowarfare/bioterrorism agent, against which there are currently no licensed vaccines or therapeutics.

Mindy L. Gore

mgore1@lsuhsc.edu

Hutt-Fletcher

B. S., Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University and A & M College
Research: The analysis of the roles of the BDLF2 and BMRF2 gene products in infection of B cells and epithelial cells by Epstein-Barr virus.

Shannon M. Kahan

B.S., Microbiology, Texas A&M University

Research: Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV) serves as a useful model to understand how a virus infection can activate the immune system such that a severe inflammatory disease results.  EHV glycoprotein gp2, a 791 residue mucin-like protein, is essential for EHV to cause a fatal inflammatory disease of the lung.  The goals of this project are: 1. to generate and assess in the mouse model recombinant EHV that express portions of gp2 in order to identify the specific gp2 domain that mediates the cytokine/chemokine storm leading to inflammatory disease; and 2. to ascertain the molecular mechanism by which gp2 elicits the increased expression of proinflammatory molecules.

Michael S. Nealy

mnealy@lsuhsc.edu

Tibbetts

B. S., Biological Science, McNeese State University
Research: Gammaherpesviruses cause life-long infections in humans (latency), and are associated with numerous types of malignancies including lymphoma.  Murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (gammaHV68) is genetically related to the human viruses, and provides a small animal model for mechanistic studies of the virus/host relationship in vivo .  We are currently generating mutant viruses to use as tools to dissect the central role of latency in immune evasion and pathogenesis.  The long-term goal of these studies is to better understand the mechanisms by which gammaherpesviruses cause life-long infection and disease.

Maciej T. Nogalski

M.Sc., Chemistry, 2004, University of Warsaw

Research:  A hallmark of HCMV disease is a multiple organ system involvement that stems from the widespread dissemination of the virus within the infected host. Therefore, a critical feature of infection is the hematogenous dissemination of the virus. Our studies have identified that HCMV infects monocytes and induces their extravasation and differentiation into productively infected macrophages. We are currently investigating the HCMV-induced molecular changes in monocytes to better understand how these cells are involved in viral spread and disease.

Krista D. Queen

B.S., Biology, 2006, Louisiana State University - Shreveport

Research: I am investigating Epstein-Barr Virus induced epigenetic alterations in infected carcinoma cells.

Allison M. Repic

arepic@lsuhsc.edu

Sixbey

B. S., Biology, 2004, Aquinas College
Research: The Epstein-Barr virus latency protein, latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), is a viral oncogene that can produce both proliferative as well as cytostatic effects on infected cells. We are testing the hypothesis that variable reiterations of the CpG -rich terminal repeats (TR), which are fused in the viral episome and contain the alternate LMP1 promoter, will affect LMP1 expression levels in epithelial cancers. With variable expression levels yielding divergent growth phenotypes, we predict clonal emergence of cells maintaining episomes with an "optimal" TR number.

Mulu Z. Tesfay

mtesfa@lsuhsc.edu

Ryman

B. Sc., Plant Sciences, 1998, Alemaya University, M. Sc., Molecular Biology, 2001, Free University of Brussels, M. Sc., Biological Sciences, 2004, Northern Illinois University

Research:  My research will elucidate determinants of virulence/attenuation in mosquito-borne virus infections with the ultimate goal of developing new vaccine candidates.  My emphasis is on comparison of two alphaviruses (virulent Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus versus attenuated Sindbis virus) and two flaviviruses (virulent yellow fever virus strain Asibi versus the attenuated vaccine strain 17D).

Sarah M. Valencia

B.S., Biology, 2002, The University of Missouri-Kansas

Research:  Epstein Barr virus infects primarily two cell types B lymphocytes and Epithelial cells.  The purpose of my research is to examine and compare entry and intracellular transport of EBV within these two cell types.