a person pointing at a poster
Viral Pathogens

DNA and RNA viruses can cause acute and persistent infections in humans and model organisms.

At the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Microbiology & Immunology, we actively research basic molecular virology, genetics, and pathogenesis of these viruses.

Learn more about Virology at Michigan, a website that lists faculty and labs interested in viruses across U-M.
Areas of Investigation

Specific areas of investigation include:

  • Virus entry, assembly and egress
  • Genetic determinants of virulence
  • Viral RNA replication
  • Viral genome recombination
  • Intracellular trafficking of viruses
  • Viral oncogenesis
  • Gene therapy vectors
  • Mechanisms of immune evasion
  • Innate and adaptive immune responses to viruses
  • Imaging of live virally infected mice
  • Host factors contributing to virus susceptibility

Viruses currently being studied:

  • DNA viruses: adenoviruses, BKV, and herpesviruses
  • Retroviruses: HIV and murine leukemia virus
  • RNA viruses: noroviruses, influenza virus, poliovirus, hepatitis C virus, dengue virus and emerging bunyaviruses
Faculty researching Viral Pathogens
Kathleen L. Collins Kathleen Collins, MD, PhD
Professor of Internal Medicine
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Associate Dean for Physician Scientist Education and Training
imperiale-mike Michael J Imperiale, PhD
Arthur F Thurnau Professor Emeritus
Professor Emeritus of Microbiology and Immunology
KirschnerDenise22-large-853x1280 copy.jpeg Denise E Kirschner, PhD
Program Director, Microbiology and Immunology Mentoring Program
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Adam Lauring Adam Lauring, MD, PhD
Professor of Internal Medicine
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Bethany B. Moore Bethany Moore, PhD
Nancy Walls Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Professor of Internal Medicine
headshot of Akira Ono Akira Ono, PhD
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Malini Raghavan Malini Raghavan, PhD
Nancy Walls Research Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Director Academic Programs
Immunology Graduate Program
Katherine Spindler Katherine R Spindler, PhD
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
headshot of Andrew Tai Andrew W Tai, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Assistant Dean for Early Medical Education
headshot of Alice-Telesnitsky Alice Telesnitsky, PhD
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
user wobus-christiane Christiane Wobus, PhD
Associate Professor of Microbiology
Immunology