Research Expertise:
Virology | Cell biology | Molecular and structural biology

My lab focuses on the interactions between herpes simplex virus (HSV) and its human host. To identify new therapeutic targets, we use molecular and cellular approaches to understand host-virus interactions and responses to infection. We study the mechanism by which HSV binds to cellular receptors in order to design inhibitors of virus entry. We also characterize cellular responses to identify factors involved in susceptibility to HSV infection. Finally, we also are interested in the effects of human saliva on the susceptibility to infection by HSV. This combination of approaches aims at identifying new biomarkers for HSV susceptibility and discovering novel targets for innovative antiviral targets for innovative therapies. We recently interested in identifying and developing new compounds that can inhibit HSV infection and spread.

Honors and Awards:
Joseph and Josephine Rabinowitz Award for Scientific Excellence at the PENN Dental School (2007)
Stephen L Sacks Investigator Award from the American Herpes Foundation (2005)
Frances R Lax Award for Faculty Development at Rowan University (2015)

Member of:
American Society for Microbiology (http://www.asm.org/)
American Association for the Advancement of Science (http://www.aaas.org/)
American Society for Virology (http://www.asv.org)