Infectious Disease & Host Defense

The Infectious Diseases program is focused to the elucidation of pathogenic mechanisms to common and emerging respiratory pathogens.The program includes scientists with expertise in microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, systems biology and pathology. The research areas include studies at the molecular, cellular, physiologic and whole organism level.  View Commercial Capabilities.

The current focus of the program includes:

• Development of unique animal models for the study of pathogenesis, vaccine testing, and novel therapeutics.
• Epithelial-pathogen interactions leading to a molecular elucidation of epithelial dysfunction and disease.
• Pathogen-encoded genetic determinants of disease and host evasion.
• Systems biology approaches for the elucidation of networks in disease and immune function.

Current studies in the Infectious Disease include seasonal and potential pandemic influenza, emerging coronaviruses such as SARS-COV, paramyxoviruses, adenoviruses, rhinoviruses, and hemorrhagic fever viruses such as hantaviruses. Studies of bacterial pathogens include Pseudomonas aerginosa, Streptococcal, and Staphylococcal, B. anthracis, Y. pestis as well as other recognized biothreat agents.

The ID Program is authorized to work with a number of CDC Select Agents and currently performs studies of NIH category A-C pathogens, including studies of aerosolized pathogens in CDD approved BSL-3+ and ABSL-3+ Facilities.