Research Interest: Virology

PHD PROGRAM
Microbiology & Immunology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Drug Discovery, Pathogenesis & Infection, Virology

Dr. Sheahan is an expert virologist with a primary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology in the Gillings School of Global Public Health and a secondary appointment in Microbiology and Immunology in the School of Medicine. His research is focused on understanding emerging viral diseases and developing new means to stop them with a current focus on coronavirus and hepacivirus.

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Translational Medicine, Virology

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Immunology, Pathogenesis & Infection, Virology

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Immunology, Pathogenesis & Infection, Virology

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Molecular Biology, Pathogenesis & Infection, Virology

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Immunology, Pharmacology, Virology

PHD PROGRAM
Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, Genetics & Molecular Biology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Immunology, Pathogenesis & Infection, Systems Biology, Virology

In the Ferris lab, we use genetically diverse mouse strains to better understand the role of genetic variation in immune responses to a variety of insults. We then study these variants mechanistically. We also develop genetic and genomic datasets and resources to better identify genetic features associated with these immunological differences.

PHD PROGRAM
Pathobiology & Translational Science

RESEARCH INTEREST
Immunology, Pathogenesis & Infection, Pathology, Translational Medicine, Virology

My research aims to understand the pathogenesis and host immune response to emerging and re-emerging viral infections, including encephalitic alphaviruses such as chikungunya virus and respiratory coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2. Other areas of interest include examination of genetic and environmental factors that influence the response to infection and disease outcome, evaluation of vaccines and novel therapeutics against emerging viruses, and development and optimization of animal models of infectious disease.

PHD PROGRAM
Bioinformatics & Computational Biology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genomics, Immunology, Translational Medicine, Virology

I work on predicting the determinants of adaptive immune responses. Most of my work has focused on T-cell epitope prediction for mutant antigens derived from cancer. I have collaborated closely with clinical groups to translate this work in personalized cancer vaccine trials. More recently I have also been working on joint T-cell and B-cell prediction for viral pathogens. The technologies and techniques applied across all of my projects are at the intersection of computational immunology, genomics, and machine learning.

PHD PROGRAM
Microbiology & Immunology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Immunology, Molecular Biology, Pathogenesis & Infection, Translational Medicine, Virology

We want to understand why common pediatric respiratory virus infections cause severe disease in some people. Currently we focus on enterovirus D68, which typically causes colds but rarely causes acute flaccid myelitis, a polio-like paralyzing illness in children. We study both the pathogen and the host immune response, as both can contribute to pathogenesis. Projects focus on use of reverse genetic systems to create reporter viruses to infect both human respiratory epithelial cultures and small animal models such as mice. Human monoclonal antibody effects on pathogenesis are also of interest.