I am an assistant professor in the Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics at The Ohio State University and a member of the Cancer Biology Program at the OSUCCC – James. My research is focused on the relationship between y-herpesviruses and malignant tumors.

Much of my work centers on the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It is part of the herpes virus family, and more than 90% of adults are infected with it at some point in their lives. EBV-associated malignancies have increased 14.6% over the last two decades. Approximately 1.5% of all cancer cases worldwide are associated with EBV.

My lab is interested in studying the contribution of lytic proteins (dUTPases) to the pathophysiology of EBV-associated cancers, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). I am working to determine the molecular mechanisms by which the EBV and HHV6- encoded dUTPases alter germinal center and extrafollicular antibody responses, cognitive behavior, and motor control functions in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and EBV-associated malignancies.

I am also working to identify biomarkers for viral-associated inflammatory diseases and cancer, and to explore the role of γ-herpesviruses-encoded dUTPases in the tumor microenvironment. My lab has focused on a connection between herpesvirus dUTPase proteins and late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

My research has been published in dozens of peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Frontiers in Immunology, Pathogens and more. I have also co-authored several patents and presented my work at medical conferences around the United States, Europe and Canada.