Sponsor:  Dr.  Jeremy Kamil

Research:  Dr. Li is investigating human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), with a focus on the genetic factors that influence the severity of phenotypes deficient in UL97, an HCMV-encoded protein kinase.  The goals of the research are to understand: (i) the roles that UL97 plays during HCMV infection, (ii) the mechanistic basis for therapeutic strategies exploiting UL97 as an antiviral drug target, and (ii) the functions of other viral gene(s) that govern the requirement for UL97 during infection.