My lab is devoted to understanding T cell responses in emerging infectious viruses relevant to human health and disease. In 2009, I received my Ph.D. in Immunology from Innsbruck Medical University, Austria, where I performed research analyzing post-translational modifications of viral-derived epitopes and modulation of the T cell immune response during aging. Following my Ph.D., I obtained post-doctoral training under Dr. Alessandro Sette at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI). In 2020 I joined the Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research at LJI as a Research Assistant Professor.
My lab characterizes human immune responses to dengue virus, zika virus, and chikungunya virus. With the emergence and pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in 2020, we focused on deciphering the human T cell response against SARS-CoV-2 after natural infection and vaccination.
As of 2023, the focus of my lab has reverted back to discovering how the human immune system reacts to emerging infectious viruses. The virus family I focus on is termed Arboviruses and includes virus families such as Flaviviruses (dengue virus) and Alphaviruses (chikungunya virus).
One thing that is shared between all of these viral infections is the wide range of symptoms that are elicited upon infection in human populations. The range of infections with either of these viruses can range from asymptomatic to severe and/or chronic disease.
This broad response reflects the complex interactions between these viruses, and the host immune system. Understanding the factors influencing the variability in symptoms is essential to inform vaccine design and to developed effective strategies, diagnosis, and treatment of arbovirus diseases.
