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Professor of Biology
Ph.D. 1978 (microbiology), Mt. Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, CUNY; M.S. 1973 (human genetics), Sarah Lawrence College; A.B. 1972 (biology), Bryn Mawr College.
Office Address:
| New York University |
| Department of Biology |
| 1009 Silver Center |
| 100 Washington Square East |
| New York, NY 10003-6688 |
Email:
Phone: (212) 998-8269
Fax: (212) 995-4015
List of Publications from Pubmed
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Research
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| Figure 1 (Click to enlarge) |
My research interests are viral immunology, ranging from innate to neuroimmunology to cellular signaling as well as molecular aspects, and pathogenesis of infection. My lab has been studying the interaction between vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and the mouse (Figure 1). We are probing the role of the immune system in clearance of viral infections from the central nervous system and use many research tools including knockout hosts. Areas of research in the lab include analysis of the components involved in the breakdown of the blood-brain-barrier during viral infection, cytokine-triggered responses in the CNS, including signal transduction and down-stream events (Figure 2). We are studying the molecules which recruit different cells (neutrophils, natural killer, lymphocytes and macrophages) from the peripheral circulation to the CNS to fight the infection. We have been investigating the many roles of lipids in the innate immune response to infection; the effects of drugs which target cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase and peroxisome proliferators activating receptor-gamma, as well as statins and cannabanoids are being investigated for their contribution to the disease pathogenesis. The role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates in both clearance of virus and immunopathology are being studied. The mechanism(s) by which distinct interferons suppress viral replication in neurons is another area of focus (Figure 3). We are also engaged in a microarray analysis of cytokine and viral infection-induced changes in the expression of mRNA by neurons. The infection and recovery of the olfactory neuroepithelium are under investigation; these studies will be extended to examine behaviors which are associated with the sense of smell and thus may be altered by olfactory system infection. (Figure 4).
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| Figure 2 (Click to enlarge) |
Figure 3 (Click to enlarge) |
Figure 4 (Click to enlarge) |
Teaching
Undergraduate: V23.0050 Immunology
Graduate: G23.1011 Advanced Immunology, G23.1020 Advanced Topics in Cellular and Molecular Immunology, G23.2020 Microbial Pathogenesis, G23.0080 Animal virology. G23.1023 Hot Topics of Infectious Disease.
Biosketch
1972 AB Bryn Mawr College
1973 MS Sarah Lawrence College
1978 PhD Mt Sinai graduate school of Biomedical Sciences of CUNY
1978-1981 Post doc Harvard Medical School
1981-1991 Instructor through Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School
1991-present NYU
Co-organizer of 5 Keystone conferences on Molecular Aspects of Viral Immunity
1999-2006 Editor-in-chief of Viral Immunology
2008 Senior editor, DNA and Cell Biology
2008 Editor, Neurotropic Viruses, Cambridge University Press
Areas of Research/Interest
Viral infection of the CNS; the role of innate immunity in the host response; viral oncolysis; olfaction associated behaviors; translational medicine.
External Affiliations
NYU Cancer Center; NYU Center for Neural Science; Adjunct Professor, Department of Microbiology, NYU School of Medicine and Mt Sinai School of Medicine; Reviewers' Reserve, National Institutes of Health; Organizer, Keystone Symposia on Molecular Aspects of Viral Immunology.
Fellowships/Honors
Outstanding Woman Scientist, 2001; Fellow of the New York Academy of Science, 2005; Foundation Lecturer, Foundation for Microbiology, 1990; American Cancer Society Junior Faculty Research Award, 1984; New Investigator Research Award, National Institutes of Health, 1981; Distinguished Scientific Visitor, Biomedical Research Council, Singapore, 2004.
Publications
