The research of our laboratory is at the interface between virology and proteomics. We are studying cellular mechanisms used in defense against viruses, as well as mechanisms used by viruses to inhibit or hijack host cell processes. For these studies, we use multidisciplinary approaches, integrating molecular virology, microscopy, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, and bioinformatics. We have developed a series of proteomics-based approaches for characterizing cellular processes occurring during the progression of viral infections, and we are exploring several areas of interest:

• Dynamic regulation of host-virus protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions during the progression of an infection
• Mechanisms of sensing of pathogenic DNA within the nuclei of infected cells
• Initiation and propagation of intrinsic and innate immune responses following infection with nuclear-replicating herpesviruses
• Roles and regulation of human deacetylases (histone deacetylases - HDACs and sirtuins - SIRTs) during viral infections
• Global remodeling of cellular organelles during the progression of viral infection
• Developing targeted and large-scale proteomic tools for quantifying proteins, identifying protein interactions, determining the specificity of interactions, defining distinct protein complexes, and measuring the relative stability of interactions