Prof. Susan R. Weiss

Our lab studies murine and human coronavirus pathogenesis, including MHV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. We use MHV infection of mice as a model system for the study of: 1) acute viral encephalitis; 2) chronic demyelinating diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and 3) virus-induced hepatitis and 4) severe acute respiratory diseases. We have the important tools of a well-developed animal model system and reverse genetic systems with which to manipulate the viral genome. We also investigate pathogenesis of human coronaviruses both the lethal MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 as well as the common cold viruses OC43 and 229E and NL63. We are investigating these both in epithelial cell lines and primary cells and soon in mice. Much of our current work focuses on coronavirus-encoded antagonists of host innate responses. Other foci of the lab are on activation and antagonism of the OAS-RNase L pathway in human and bat cells, the pathogenic effects of endogenous host dsRNA and pathogenesis of Zika virus and other flaviviruses.