Research

Research in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology centers on three main themes - infectious disease, immunology and cancer biology. This structure facilitates the development of interrelated and collaborative projects amongst the faculty.

Infectious Disease: Our faculty study a variety of important human pathogens including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Herpesviruses and malaria, with a focus on understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease. A particular strength of the Department is the study of neurovirology, addressing the impact of viral infections on the central nervous system. This research seeks to understand and modulate the development of neurological symptoms associated with infection by viruses such as HIV and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). These studies indicate that the immune system plays a key role in the pathogenesis of viral infections in the CNS.

Immunology: The aberrant function of the immune system plays a role in a number of important human diseases including viral infections, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. As mentioned above, the immune system is particularly important in the pathogenesis of viral diseases. In addition, our Department is interested in the immunopathogenesis of diabetes and this work is enhanced by strong collaborations with investigators in the Department of Internal Medicine and the Department of Physiological Sciences. A further research interest in the field of immunology is the role of innate immunity and the complement system in diseases such as myocardial infarction and reperfusion injury. This research is carried out through collaborations with faculty in the Department of Pediatrics.

Cancer Biology: The Department has an extremely strong program addressing multiple aspects of cancer biology, ranging from basic research into the mechanisms of DNA replication - a crucial component of the cell division process - to the identification of novel biomarkers that can be used to more accurately diagnose patients with cancer. This latter research is facilitated by the George L. Wright Jr. Center for Biomedical Proteomics, The Virginia Prostate Center and the Leroy T. Canoles Cancer Research Center. Another major aspect of this research program involves the study of mechanisms that regulate Ras signaling pathways. Ras is an oncogene that promotes the development of a number of human cancers, including pancreatic and lung cancer.

The research efforts of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology are supported by two essential Core Facilities - the Flow Cytometry Core and the Macromolecular Core.