Dr. Crawford's laboratory studies how viruses manipulate the human immune system. We address questions about how chronic viruses infect and control hematopoietic stem cells. Ongoing projects use biochemistry, virology, immunology, and stem cell biology approaches to address questions in viral pathogenesis, herpesvirus latency and reactivation, hematopoietic stem cell fate, and immune system differentiation. A main focus of the lab is in determining how HCMV (human cytomegalovirus, a common human herpesvirus) exploits cellular traits to establish latency, maintain a viral reservoir, control reactivation, and manipulate hematopoiesis which will help develop novel targeted treatments, a more detailed understanding of hematopoietic mechanisms, and an improved understanding of immune cell fate during viral infection. Other projects look at specific mechanisms of viral genes (i.e. HCMV RL11 region), other beta-herpesviruses (HHV-6a and 6b), and overarching commonalities with other chronic latency-establishing viruses to understand viral manipulation of the hematopoietic system via the interconnected mechanisms of cellular hematopoietic control and viral latency.

Education

2012-2015

NIH T32 Postdoctoral fellowship
Oregon Health Sciences University, NIH Training Program in Virology. A1074494
Mentor: Jay Nelson
 

2012

Ph.D. - Microbiology and Immunology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
 

2006

BS - Microbiology
Oregon State University
 

2006

BS - Biochemistry and Biophysics
Oregon State University