Virology
AREA OF FOCUS
Virology
Infectious diseases are the leading cause of childhood mortality, and are responsible for one quarter of all deaths worldwide.
Viruses are responsible for a large proportion of these diseases, with contributions from chronic viruses, tumor viruses, endemic seasonal viruses, and newly emergent viruses such as HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and avian influenza virus.
UF maintains a tremendous strength in virus research, with more than 70 investigators actively studying viruses. In particular, the MGM department has a broad strength in virology, with faculty studying both RNA viruses (Boulant, Ganaie, Karst, Stanifer) and DNA viruses (Bloom, Ma, Renne, Tibbetts). Active, NIH-funded projects in the department include studies of virus-host interactions, virus infections at mucosal surfaces, tumor virus chronic infection and pathogenesis, viral noncoding RNA functions, neurotropic virus infections, and emerging virus infections.
Come join us!
Our virology group is always recruiting new students and postdocs to be a part of the team.
MGM Faculty Studying Virology
David C Bloom, Ph.D.
Chair & Hazel Kitzman Professor of Genetics
Viral and neuron-specific factors that allow herpes simplex virus (HSV) to establish and maintain latency in neurons.
Steeve Boulant, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
How enteric viral pathogens (rotavirus, norovirus, astrovirus) infect and replicate in the human gastro-intestinal tract.
Safder Ganaie, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The Ganaie lab studies host-pathogen interactions that play a role in infection and pathogenesis of emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses.
Stephanie Karst
Professor; Associate Chair for Research
Factors driving infant vulnerability to norovirus infections, particularly regarding the role of intestinal microbiota and their metabolites.
Zhe Ma, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Interactions between innate immune responses and viral tumor development in order to identify potential targets and strategies for viral cancer treatment.
Rolf Renne, Ph.D.
Henry E. Innes Professor of Cancer Research; Associate Director for Basic Science, UF Health Cancer Center
How latent gamma-herpesvirus (particularly KSHV) gene products, including microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs, contribute to viral tumorigenesis of AIDS malignancies.
Megan L Stanifer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Virus evasion of sensing by the host and mechanism used by the host to stop virus infection, using microscopy, single cell sequencing and human mini-gut organoids.
Scott Tibbetts, Ph.D.
Professor; BMS PhD Program Concentration Director (Immunology / Microbiology)
Tumor virus interactions with the host immune system in an in vivo setting, with a particular emphasis on noncoding RNA biology.
Lei Zhou, Ph.D.
Professor; BMS PhD Program Concentration Director (Genetics)
Use of the fruit fly to unravel the complexity of innate immunity, including the innate immune response against arbovirus infections.