Stephanie A. Email and Phone Number

Currently, I am a postdoctoral fellow in Tem Morrison's laboratory. I study the development of viremia during arbovirus infection and the mechanisms that mediate clearance of circulating virus in the time before the specific antibody response. The development of viremia in vertebrate hosts is a critical determinant of disease severity, enhanced arthropod-vectored transmission, and geographical spread of the virus. Yet, not all vertebrate hosts develop a viremia of sufficient amplitude and… Show more Currently, I am a postdoctoral fellow in Tem Morrison's laboratory. I study the development of viremia during arbovirus infection and the mechanisms that mediate clearance of circulating virus in the time before the specific antibody response. The development of viremia in vertebrate hosts is a critical determinant of disease severity, enhanced arthropod-vectored transmission, and geographical spread of the virus. Yet, not all vertebrate hosts develop a viremia of sufficient amplitude and duration to support transmission back to the arthropod vector, and the molecular mechanisms that dictate arboviral viremia in amplifying and dead-end hosts are poorly defined. Specifically, I study the factors that determine the vascular clearance of Eastern- (EEEV) and Venezuelan- (VEEV) equine encephalitis viruses. Show less

As a doctoral student in Dr. Carolyn Coyne's lab, my studies were focused on the barrier function of the human placenta to Toxoplasma gondii infection. T. gondii is a major source of congenital disease worldwide, but the cellular and molecular factors associated with its vertical transmission are largely unknown. In humans, the placenta forms the key interface between the maternal and fetal compartments and forms the primary barrier that restricts the hematogenous spread of microorganisms… Show more As a doctoral student in Dr. Carolyn Coyne's lab, my studies were focused on the barrier function of the human placenta to Toxoplasma gondii infection. T. gondii is a major source of congenital disease worldwide, but the cellular and molecular factors associated with its vertical transmission are largely unknown. In humans, the placenta forms the key interface between the maternal and fetal compartments and forms the primary barrier that restricts the hematogenous spread of microorganisms. Specifically, I identified and studied the mechanism by which human syncytiotrophoblasts are uniquely and intrinsically resistant to T. gondii infection. Show less

In the fall of 2012, I joined Dr. Florencia Meyer’s laboratory as a master’s student in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Plant Pathology, and Entomology. Dr. Meyer’s research is focused on virus-host interactions of Bovine Herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1). For my thesis, I created and analyzed a protein-protein interactions (PPI) profile for bICP0 during BHV-1 lytic infection. While not an essential viral protein, bICP0 is an immediate-early protein that promotes efficient, productive… Show more In the fall of 2012, I joined Dr. Florencia Meyer’s laboratory as a master’s student in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Plant Pathology, and Entomology. Dr. Meyer’s research is focused on virus-host interactions of Bovine Herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1). For my thesis, I created and analyzed a protein-protein interactions (PPI) profile for bICP0 during BHV-1 lytic infection. While not an essential viral protein, bICP0 is an immediate-early protein that promotes efficient, productive infection through its activities as a transcription factor, inhibitor of interferon signaling, and a viral ubiquitin E3 ligase. As a multi-functional protein, bICP0 promotes productive infection via indirect involvement in many processes important for viral replication. Prior to my studies, little was known regarding the specific host and viral factors that interact with bICP0. By building a PPI profile for bICP0 spanning across both the viral and bovine proteomes, I was able to identify specific pathways influenced by bICP0 during infection. To generate a PPI profile, I performed co-immunoprecipitations with endogenously expressed bICP0 during natural lytic infection of a bovine cell culture. I identified host and viral protein interactors by mass spectrometry and computationally analyzed the protein hits to identify the involvement of several host pathways. Show less

Under the guidance of Dr. Federico Hoffmann, I learned about computational genomics and the tools to study molecular evolution. Dr. Hoffmann’s research specializes in the computational analysis of vertebrate genomes to identify emergent genes and determine the mechanisms by which these new genes acquire novel biological functions. My project in the laboratory was a collaboration with my future master’s thesis professor, Dr. Florencia Meyer, examining putative horizontal gene transfer (HGT)… Show more Under the guidance of Dr. Federico Hoffmann, I learned about computational genomics and the tools to study molecular evolution. Dr. Hoffmann’s research specializes in the computational analysis of vertebrate genomes to identify emergent genes and determine the mechanisms by which these new genes acquire novel biological functions. My project in the laboratory was a collaboration with my future master’s thesis professor, Dr. Florencia Meyer, examining putative horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events between herpesviruses and their animal hosts. Show less

I worked in Dr. Jiguo Chen’s laboratory in the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Chen’s research is centered on using Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) as a model to elucidate genetic mechanisms that regulate the transition of a healthy cell to a cancerous state. My project was to generate and isolate a recombinant KSHV protein, Replication and Transcription Activator (RTA), from a yeast expression system. The rRTA I produced would then be used to experimentally validate in… Show more I worked in Dr. Jiguo Chen’s laboratory in the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Chen’s research is centered on using Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) as a model to elucidate genetic mechanisms that regulate the transition of a healthy cell to a cancerous state. My project was to generate and isolate a recombinant KSHV protein, Replication and Transcription Activator (RTA), from a yeast expression system. The rRTA I produced would then be used to experimentally validate in silico predictions of RTA’s DNA-binding motifs. Show less

I worked in Dr. Ashli Brown’s laboratory in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Initially, I assisted senior laboratory members by organizing samples for processing and injecting gas chromatography samples for analysis. Later, I participated in a biofuels project working under the guidance of Ms. Renuka Shivaji to evaluate the utility of the oleaginous yeast Rodotorula glutinis as an alternative fuel source.