Mathematical virology and immunology group

In our group, we investigate the population biology of infectious disease agents, mostly within their hosts. The basic question our research addresses is: How to pathogens replicate within their hosts, and how are they controlled by the immune system? We focus on viruses, such as HIV, SIV, and LCMV.

Recently we have been studying on the following specific topics:

1. quantitative molecular aspects of HIV entry and neutralization ("stoichiometry") (Carsten Magnus)
   
   • see Magnus, C, Rusert, P, Bonhoeffer, S, Trkola, A & Regoes, RR. Estimating the Stoichiometry of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Entry. J Virol (2009)
   
   

   Stoichiometry of entry: How many bonds between viral spikes and CD4 are needed for infection?
2. dynamics of CTL killing in vivo (Frederik Graw)
   
   • see Regoes, RR, Barber, DL, Ahmed, R, Antia, R. Estimation of the rate of killing by cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vivo, PNAS (2007).
   • and Graw, F & Regoes, RR. Investigating CTL mediated killing with a 3D cellular automaton. PLoS Comp Biol (2009)
     
     

     Cellular automaton simulation of CTL killing dynamics
3. dynamics of early SIV infection in natural and non-natural hosts
   
   • see Regoes, RR, Antia, R, Garber, DA, Silvestri, G, Feinberg, MB & Staprans, SI. Roles of target cells and virus-specific cellular immunity in primary simian immunodeficiency virus infection. J Virol (2004)
   
   

   Virus dynamics in early HIV/SIV infection

Sometimes we branch out into mathematical epidemiology. When we do that, the evolutionary aspects of the spread of the pathogen are our main focus. For example, we have been working on the role of adaptation in the emergence of new infectious diseases, and studied the problem of drug resistance during influenza pandemics.

Former group members

• Frederik Graw graduated last year and is now a postdoc at the Los Alamos National Laboratory