Margaret Lange, PhD

University of Missouri – Columbia (MU)

Viruses cause debilitating and life-threatening infections, as well as a variety of human cancers. They also reveal the beauty of biology and illuminate the delicate balance that exists at the interface of pathogenesis and immunity. Host and viral factors influence pathogenesis and infection outcomes, and targeting the cellular mechanisms at the host-virus interface represents an innovative therapeutic strategy that is widely applicable to a variety of diseases. Through her work, Dr. Lange hopes to increase understanding of mechanisms at the host-virus interface that dictate biological outcomes, highlighting the molecular tug-of-war between host and virus and the complexity underlying co-evolution.