Our Lab
We study viruses that infect humans, and apply the lessons learned to new and emerging viruses. We combine broad expertise—in virology, cell biology, biochemistry, systems biology and chromatin biology—with a diverse and highly collaborative approach.
Our Approach
Founded at the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, our lab has since broadened its scope to other endemic viruses and to newly emerging ones.
We focus on human host factors restricting or enabling viral infections, and we build and study complex primary cell systems such as organoids to model physiological conditions closely. We also look for host pathways shared by multiple viruses to develop drugs that could thwart multiple pathogens.
Studying the viruses of today to prepare for the viruses of tomorrow.
Our Technologies
Rapid Quantitative Diagnostics
Human Organoids
Viral Library
Transcriptomics and Chromatin Biology
We are developing a diagnostic platform that combines CRISPR-based biochemistry with smartphone optics for the rapid and quantitative detection of RNA viruses — including SARS-CoV-2 and HIV.
We routinely use human organoids derived from adult tissues, adult stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells to model infection of the lung, liver, intestine, brain or airways.
We are building a library of all the proteins encoded in the genomes of HIV, Zika, Influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and others as a resource for the research community.
We routinely profile organoids and immune cells with single-cell and bulk -omics technologies and adapt innovative new chromatin tools to the analysis of the latent HIV provirus.
Areas of Research
