Jana Liese

Program: Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Current advisor: Megan T. Baldridge, MD, PhD

Undergraduate university: University of South Carolina, 2020

Enrollment year: 2021

Research summary
Viral-host interactions of enteric viruses

Human astroviruses are key causes of viral gastroenteritis and can cause neurological complications in immunocompromised patients. Despite seroprevalence studies suggesting that the majority of pediatric populations are exposed to at least one human astrovirus during their children, astrovirus biology is remarkably understudied. My work focuses on understanding the interactions of human astroviruses with newly identified host proteins. Using a combination of classical virology approaches and high-throughput sequencing, I am investigating the role of host RNA binding proteins to both direct and indirectly support astrovirus replication.

Graduate publications