The focus of our laboratory is respiratory viral infections. Our favorite virus is the human rhinovirus. In addition to causing the "common cold," human rhinovirus infections cause exacerbations of asthma, COPD and other chronic lung diseases. We also study enterovirus-D68, a respiratory virus which has been associated with a polio-like illness in children. Finally, we are studying
human coronavirus-NL63 which, like
SARS-CoV2, utilizes the ACE2 receptor and has been associated with severe outbreaks of pneumonia in nursing homes and Kawasaki's disease in children. Our work combines cell culture, animal models and human subjects research.