Molecular Virology

The Molecular Virology Program at Yale University is a campus-wide, interdepartmental program designed to coordinate and facilitate the study of viruses and viral diseases.

Mission and specific goals

The mission of the Molecular Virology Program at Yale is to facilitate the acquisition of new insights into virus biology and cellular function through the study of viruses and to develop novel approaches to inhibit viral infection or treat viral diseases. The goals of the Molecular Virology program include:

• To facilitate the conduct of innovative research on various phases of virus life cycles, including virus entry, assembly, and structure; genome replication and recombination; transcription; and translation; in order to understand the basic biology of these processes and to identify targets for therapy
• To facilitate the study of the interactions of viruses with their host cells to gain new insights into both the virus and the host and to unravel aspects of disease pathogenesis to unravel aspects of disease pathogenesis, including viral-induced carcinogenesis
• To facilitate the discovery of novel antiviral approaches and drugs antiviral approaches and drugs, including novel vaccination strategies
• To provide outstanding training in virology
• To foster communication and collaboration among all scientists with interests in virology at Yale, including basic virologists, computational biologists, epidemiologists, and clinicians

Because viruses are critically dependent on their host cells and have co-evolved with them, studies of viruses have historically provided numerous insights into basic cellular biology. Viruses are also important vectors for gene therapy and vaccination, and viral gene products may have important research and clinical uses. Increased understanding of viruses has also revolutionized the treatment and prevention of disease, but the emergence of diseases such as AIDS, avian influenza, and SARS demonstrates that viral diseases remain an ongoing problem with staggering public health implications. In addition, viral-associated cancers are a leading cause of death, chronic viral diseases cause significant morbidity, and bioterrorism based on pathogenic viruses is a serious concern. Thus, the study of viruses will continue to provide important biological insights and suggest new strategies for coping with serious human diseases.

Activities of the Molecular Virology Program

Yale has a rich tradition in virology and great strength in many disciplines relevant to the study of viruses: structural biology and biochemistry; studies of DNA replication, damage, and repair; RNA science; immunobiology; cell biology; microbial pathogenesis; genetics and evolution; bioinformatics and computational biology; epidemiology; and infectious disease research. The activities of the Molecular Virology Program are designed to continue this tradition and exploit these strengths by coordinating and facilitating virology research at Yale.

Seminars in Virology. Seminars of interest are sponsored by the Molecular Virology Program and other academic units of the University including the Microbiology Graduate Program.

Molecular Virology and Oncology Group Meetings. These are monthly, informal research-in-progress talks supported by the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center. Please contact Paula O’Mara (Paula.omara@yale.edu) for more information.

Stephen F. Degar, Ph.D., Memorial Lecture. This is an annual distinguished lectureship in the areas of Tumor Virology and AIDS research, sponsored by the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center. Information about this year's Degar Lecture can be found on the seminar listing.

Connecticut Virology Club. This group, which is jointly organized by scientists at Yale, the University of Connecticut, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, meets approximately three times every year at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute in nearby Wallingford, Connecticut. Attendees must register first with Dona Morse at Bristol-Myers Squibb (Dona.morse@bms.com).

Microbiology Retreat. This is an annual one-day retreat of Yale faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students sponsored by the Microbiology Graduate Program. For more information, please contact Darlene Smith (Darlene.a.smith@yale.edu).

Training opportunities in Virology at Yale

Prospective graduate students with an interest in virology can apply for admission to the Microbiology Track of the Combined Graduate Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) at Yale. More information about the BBS.

Yale undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with interests in virology are directed to the following courses:

• Ecology & Evolution of Infectious Disease EEB 228b/728b. (Contact Paul.Turner@yale.edu)
• Evasion of Host Defenses by Viruses, Bacteria, and Eucaryotic Parasites, MBIO 700b (contact Peter.tattersall@yale.edu).
• Molecular Biology of Animal Viruses, GEN734a (contact Daniel.dimaio@yale.edu)   

• Roles of Microorganisms in the Living World, MCDB 642a. (contact Nicholas.ornston@yale.edu)
• Seminal Papers on the Foundations of Modern Microbiology, MBIO 700a (contact Peter.tattersall@yale.edu).

Prospective postdoctoral research fellows should directly contact individual faculty members. See Virology laboratories.

Clinicians interested in post-doctoral training in Pediatric or Adult Infectious Diseases should directly contact Dr. George Miller, Professor of Pediatrics (George.miller@yale.edu) or Dr. Vincent Quagliarello, Professor of Internal Medicine (Vincent.quagliarello@yale.edu).

News

November, 2009

Principal Investigator Daniel DiMaio, M.D., Ph.D., has been awarded an eight million dollar, five-year renewal from the National Cancer Institute for a Program Project grant. more...

Associate Professor of Immunology Susan Kaech, Ph.D., was recently named as Early Career Scientist by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). more...

October, 2009

David Spiegel, M.D., Ph.D., recently joined the faculty as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry with a joint appointment in the Department of Pharmacology. more...

March, 2009

Priti Kumar, Ph.D., recently joined the faculty as an assistant professor in the Section of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine...more...

August, 2008

Recently-arrived associate professor, Richard Sutton, M.D., Ph.D., has joined the Molecular Virology Program. more...

February, 2008

Susan M. Kaech, Ph.D., was named a winner of the coveted Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. more...

October, 2007

Yorgo Modis, Ph.D., has received an Investigator in Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease Award from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund. more...

Erol Fikrig, M.D., has been named an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He will develop laboratory models to test new therapies and vaccines against vector-borne diseases.

August, 2007

Akiko Iwasaki, Ph.D., has received funding from Gilead Sciences to study the mechanism of toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) signaling and immune stimulation. Extending on the previous discovery of her group, more...

As of August 1, Peter Tattersall, Ph.D., became the Principal Investigator of our predoctoral training grant in virology.  This grant was previously headed by Dan DiMaio.

Anthony van den Pol, Ph.D., has received a new five-year grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop oncolytic viruses that target brain tumors. The grant focuses on variant vesicular stomatitis viruses and their selective targeting and destruction of glioblastomas.

June, 2007

Based on his record of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology, Peter Tattersall, Ph.D., more...

Daniel DiMaio, M.D., Ph.D., was named the Scientific Director of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he will provide broad oversight over basic cancer research at Yale. He will continue as Director of the Molecular Virology Program of the Cancer Center.

May, 2007

Erol Fikrig, M.D., has been named Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases.  He will continue his active research program on Lyme Disease and West Nile and related viruses.

April, 2007

The 70th birthday of George Miller, M.D., was honored with a one-and-a-half day symposium and celebration that featured talks by many of his colleagues and former trainees. more...

January, 2007

Janet Brandsma, Ph.D., and Paul Lizardi, Ph.D., have received a pilot grant from the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center to study methylation of human papillomavirus and genomic DNA methylation in cervical cancer.

Brett Lindenbach, Ph.D., and Walther Mothes, Ph.D., have received a pilot grant from the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center to study mechanisms of hepatitis C virus cell entry.

December, 2006

The Molecular Virology Basic Research Program of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center received the highest rating. more…

The William H. Prusoff Foundation has generously endowed a lectureship in the name of Edith Hsiung. more…

September, 2006

In work featured on the cover of the November issue of the Journal of Virology. more…

Newly renovated laboratories. more…

Brett Lindenbach, Ph.D., has recently joined the Yale faculty. more…