Academic Background

Education:

• B.Sc. Women’s Christian College, Madras, India. 1989
• M.Sc. Christian Medical College, Vellore, India. 1992
• Ph.D. University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA. 1999

Post-Doctoral Training:

• Massachusetts General Hospital, 1999-2002

Research Interests

Dengue viruses

Dengue viruses are mosquito-borne viruses that infect individuals in tropical and subtropical countries. They comprise four closely related but distinct viruses termed serotypes 1 through 4. Studies on humans infected with dengue provide strong evidence for an immunologic basis for the pathogenesis of severe disease DHF. We are involved with understanding T cell responses during acute dengue infection and in convalescence. We use samples obtained during the acute phase of dengue illness and up to 3 years post infection in a clinical cohort in Bangkok, Thailand to assess CD8 T cell responses to dengue. Using tetramers to epitope variants we assess serotype specificity and cross-reactivity of human T cells.

Experimental manipulation of in vivo immune responses to dengue would be a desirable approach to explore models of DHF pathogenesis and to test the potential for candidate vaccines to prevent disease. Unfortunately there are no currently acceptable animal models to study dengue pathogenesis. We are evaluating “humanized” mice as a small animal model for the study of dengue virus infection, immunity, and disease.

Influenza virus

Despite significant advances, it is unclear how age-related changes in one or both compartments of the immune system contribute to the increased susceptibility of older individuals to infectious diseases such as influenza viral infections. We are interested in delineating the underlying mechanisms that affect the size and quality of immune responses to influenza. We would like to understand how aging impacts innate and adaptive immunity using murine models. Furthermore we would like to examine if innate immune responses are impaired in humans.