Project Mentor

Dr. Penghua Wang
Immunology

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Description

Project Description	To study the innate immune system, detection of viruses and initiation of innate antiviral immune responses, pathogenesis of viral arthritis. 2. To understand the mechanisms of immune evasion and modulation of cellular functions by flaviviral/alphaviral proteins. 3. To elucidate the impact of intestinal microbiome dynamics during early life on cell intrinsic antiviral immunity in intestinal epithelium.
Project Direction	My laboratory is interested in host-virus interactions, with a focus on RNA viruses in vivo and in vitro. Specifically, we attempt to understand pathogenic mechanisms of viral infection at the cellular and animal levels, and study the molecular function of host genes that influence viral pathogenesis and the disease outcomes.
Mentorship and Supervision	The trainee will be assigned to a project of interest and a responsible scientist (postdoc). The responsible scientist will train and supervise the trainee’s bench work, safety. Training include basic lab techniques (qpCR, immunoblotting, cell culture, microscopy..), methodology, data acquisition and analysis, troubleshooting. The trainee will attend weekly lab meeting to report his/her work and to get feedback from the PI.
Student Qualifications	Knowledge on virology, microbiology, immunology. Experience in cell culture, immunoblotting and qPCR.
Summer Schedule Options	Research Dates: May 28 to August 2, 2019 Schedule: M-F, 9am-5pm
Project Continuation	Fall 2019, Spring 2020
Academic Year Time Commitment	9 hours/week
Possible Thesis Project	Yes

Application

Submit an online application for this research opportunity at https://quest.uconn.edu/prog/HRP19-22/. The application deadline is Monday, February 4, 2019.

This application requires a cover letter, a resume or CV, a brief statement of research interests, and a brief statement of career interests.