Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
My research at Washington University focuses on the immune response to viral infections of the central nervous system. I aim to study responses mediated by both brain-infiltrating immune cells (T cells and dendritic cells) and brain-resident cell types (astrocytes and neurons). Each of these cell types may contribute to viral clearance, but also may mediate damage to neurons and synapses resulting in longterm cognitive sequelae. In my past work, I studied the role of resident-memory T cells in protecting barrier skin and mucosa against herpes simplex virus infection in both mouse models and samples from human cohort studies.