Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
Viruses have been associated with autoimmune disease, but demonstrating causality and mechanism are often difficulty. My research is focused on defining how viruses, especially herpesviruses contribute to the development of autoimmune disease. I have developed a mouse model in which we find that neonatal infection with a roseolovirus results in autoimmune disease later in life. This occurs through disruption of normal thymocyte development. Using this model we can investigate the mechanism by which roseoloviruses, and other viruses, alter immune tolerance.