Biography

I have been a faculty member of the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Minnesota since 2002. I have a broad background in molecular biology and immunology and am interested in understanding disease pathogenesis. As a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Harry Orr, I worked to gain understanding to mechanisms underlying spinocerebellar ataxia pathogenesis.  During my postdoctoral studies in the lab of Dr. Ashley Haase, I developed an in situ tetramer staining (IST) technique to visualize antigen-specific CTL in tissues, a technology we continue to use today in my lab to study virus-specific CTL in tissues. Since 2002, I have been continuously funded, have successfully administered research projects (including staffing; research training; animal and human biosafety compliance; and budget management), collaborated with other researchers, mentored over 30 students, and produced peer-reviewed publications. My current efforts are devoted to understanding lentivirus and prion disease immunopathogenesis, and the development of novel treatments for these diseases.