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PhD projects

https://supervisorconnect.med.monash.edu/projects/investigation-human-cytomegalovirus-assembly-and-egress

20092022

Research activity per year

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Personal profile

Biography

Research interests

HCMV is a β-herpesvirus that infects over 60% of the adult population. HCMV becomes latent after a primary infection, and can periodically re-activate for reasons still unknown. HCMV is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in immuno-compromised individuals such as organ transplant recipients. However, the largest burden of disease occurs from intrauterine HCMV transmission during pregnancy. This occurs in at least 1% of pregnancies worldwide, and can cause permanent hearing loss, vision impairment, and mental retardation. There is no vaccine currently available, and discovery of new antivirals is urgently required. Importantly, the process by which infectious virus is packaged and released is not well understood, and this presents a novel molecular loci to develop potential antiviral therapeutics.

We use a hybrid multidisciplinary approach integrating virology, molecular biology, microscopy, proteomics, and bioinformatics to study viral pathognesis. Research in the lab is dedicated towards defining:

  • Critical host-viral protein interactions
  • Viral proteins mediating host organelle remodelling
  • Hijacking of host molecular pathways involved in virion egress

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Research area keywords

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Proteomics
  • Mass spectrometry
  • Host-pathogen interactions

Network

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