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Fall 2017
Flaviviruses are important human pathogens that have an enormous impact on global health. Examples that have been studied in my research include dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV) and most recently, Zika virus (ZIKV). Currently, there are very few vaccines against or therapeutic...
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Spring 2014
The introduction of WNV into North America in 1999 was followed by rapid spread throughout the continent. Today, WNV is an endemic pathogen in the west, with thousands of cases of severe infection reported annually. In addition to traditional vaccine research, there is an urgent need to...
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Characterization of the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 VP11/12-tyrosine based binding motifs for Src family kinases, p85, Grb2 and Shc
DownloadSpring 2018
Infection with HSV-1 triggers several events specifically designed to manipulate cell signal transduction pathways. Two major signaling cascades targeted by the virus are the PI3K/Akt-pathway and the TCR-signaling pathway. Prior to the studies presented in this thesis, it was known that the...
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Distinct Roles of Class 1 PI3K Isoforms in the Regulation of Beta Cell Exocytosis and Insulin Secretion
DownloadFall 2014
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by peripheral insulin resistance and an insufficiency of insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cell. The incidence of T2D is rising worldwide at an alarming rate. An increase in population growth, increased prevalence of obesity, and an aging population...
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Fall 2022
Heart transplantation (HTx) is a life-saving intervention for patients with end-stage heart failure. Nonetheless, the development of Chronic Allograft Vasculopathy (CAV) limits the longevity of transplanted cardiac allografts and the survival of recipients. The pathogenesis of CAV begins with a...
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Epithelial and vascular progenitors in the developing lung: Newer insights and therapeutic implications
DownloadFall 2012
Stanislaus Alphonse, Anthuvan Rajesh
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) are life-threatening lung diseases affecting newborn infants. Both diseases are characterized by impaired lung development and are currently untreatable. Dysregulation in the number or function of lung progenitor cells is...
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Spring 2016
Flaviviruses, such as West Nile virus (WNV), Powassan virus (POW), and Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), are significant pathogens capable of causing serious neurological disease in both humans and animals. Despite their relevance to human health, treatment and vaccines for these viruses...
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Herpes Simplex Virus Requires VP11/12 to Activate Src Family Kinase-PI3 Kinase-Akt Signalling
DownloadFall 2010
This thesis defines a novel role for the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) tegument protein, virion protein (VP) 11/12 as a modulator of host cell signalling. Studies aimed at examining infection induced lymphocyte inactivation, revealed that VP11/12 is tyrosine phosphorylated in three lymphocyte...
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Spring 2013
AKT inhibits apoptosis and stimulates cap-dependent translation by phosphorylating key downstream cellular proteins. Many viruses therefore activate the PI3-kinase-AKT signaling pathway to promote cell survival and viral protein synthesis. HSV-1 activates AKT during lytic infection and the...
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Fall 2013
Herpes simplex virus type 1 is a ubiquitous human virus that causes cold sores and, increasingly, genital herpes. Upon virion-cell fusion, tegument proteins diffuse into host cytosol and, as such, are poised to remodel signalling pathways. Tegument proteins of interest here are virion protein...