Description:

Title: A Systems Approach to Infectious Disease

Assistant Professor, Medicine, Infectious Diseases Division, Northwestern University

Host: Mojgan Naghavi, PhD

Topic:

Viral pathogens are highly specialized molecular machines selected over millions of years of co-evolution to exploit the cellular networks of their hosts for replication and survival. This reliance on and manipulation of the host and host response manifests itself in thousands of molecular changes that influence cellular function and that may result in disease. A systematic, quantitative understanding of these changes can reveal targets for the development of therapeutic interventions as well as biomarkers for the prediction of disease outcome. While technological advances in molecular measurement allow for the precise, high-throughput determination of mammalian cell architecture, translation of these data into testable hypotheses, and ultimately molecular mechanism, remains a major challenge. The Hultquist lab specializes in the development and application of high-throughput systems biology approaches for the study of infectious diseases. In this seminar, we will explore two examples that leverage large-scale proteomic datasets to reveal molecular mechanism: 1) in the identification of a negative regulator of Ebola virus replication and, 2) in the discovery of a new host factor involved in HIV maturation. Through efforts such as these, the goal of my lab is to strengthen the bridge from big data to molecular mechanism and clinical application for the development of personalized, host-driven therapies and the advancement of human health.

TBA