Botten Lab
Research Interests: Virus-Host Interactions
My research focuses on host-pathogen interactions among pathogenic RNA viruses (e.g. arenaviruses, hantaviruses, and flaviviruses) and their incidental human hosts and natural animal or insect reservoirs. The major goals of my research program are to (i) discover key virus-host interactions that are essential for the virus and/or can be targeted for the development of therapeutics and vaccines, (ii) define the natural history of the human T and B cell responses to these pathogens and determine their contribution to protective immunity and/or immunopathologic disease, (iii) develop new cutting-edge assays and reagents for the field, and (iv) translate our most promising discoveries into therapeutics and vaccines. In particular, my group has provided comprehensive and high resolution maps of host proteins that interact with viral proteins and/or are incorporated into viral particles as well as novel post-translational modifications that regulate viral protein function. Several of our discoveries have translational relevance and I have been fortunate to assemble an international team of top industry and government partners, as well as clinicians and basic researchers, to advance these inventions.