The general interest of my lab is to understand the biology of RNA viruses. In particular we wish to understand, at the molecular level, the role that host-cell factors play during specific stages of the virus replication cycle, such as virus replication and assembly.
My current focus is on the role that specialized lipid membrane structures, called lipid-rafts, play during Paramyxovirus-infection. This research has employed the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as a model system and uses a multidisciplinary experimental approach which employs molecular biology, imaging technology and proteomics. In addition to Paramyxoviruses (e.g. RSV and hMPV), this research will be extended to examine influenza and dengue viruses, two infectious agents that are of global and regional medical importance. It is hoped that a detailed understanding of the intimate relationship between these individual viruses and the host-cell during infection will lead to the development of novel antiviral strategies
