Research Areas

MMG faculty members are investigating some of the most important questions facing biomedical research today. For example, how do microorganisms interact with their hosts to cause disease? What are the basic molecular mechanisms that control cellular growth, division, and differentiation? What changes in normal cellular growth regulation account for aging, cancer, and other diseases? How can basic knowledge in these areas be harnessed as novel approaches to disease prevention and drug discovery?

Grant support from a wide range of sources supports the research mission of MMG in addressing these critical issues. MMG faculty members are supported by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Microbial and Viral Pathogenesis

Basic insights regarding the mechanisms of the host-pathogen relationship are essential to improvements in infectious disease prevention, vaccine development, and antimicrobial drug design. 

Molecular Basis of Cancer and Genetic Diseases

Several MMG research groups are investigating the molecular etiology of cancer induced by tumor viruses as well as the alterations in signaling pathways associated with oncogenic transformation. Specific projects are focused on the role of microRNAs in HPV-associated cervical cancer, the KSHV and MCV human tumor viruses, and protein-tyrosine kinases as molecular targets for cancer therapy.