Emily Desmet Ledgerwood, Ph.D.

Research in the Ledgerwood laboratory is focused on understanding the cellular and molecular events that are required for a virus to successfully infect a host cell. Unlike other pathogens, viruses are completely dependent on the host translational machinery for the synthesis of new viral proteins. Therefore, to be successful, viruses have evolved numerous mechanisms to manipulate the cellular translational regulatory pathways, often resulting in uncontrolled levels of translation that are consistent with cellular transformation.

Research in my laboratory specifically focuses on understanding the host pathogen interactions that occur during infection with human reovirus. While the majority of the population has been infected with reovirus, infection is rarely associated with disease. However, reoviruses are considered to be oncolytic viruses meaning that they preferentially infect and lyse cancer cells. Our work focuses on understanding the molecular interactions that occur between reovirus and its host cell that promote translation of new viral proteins. Specifically, we are focused on understanding what aspects of translational regulation are altered in cancer cells and how reovirus might perturb these pathways to its own benefit. By studying reovirus infection in both transformed and primary (non-cancerous) cells, we can identify and exploit key features of tumor cells to improve oncolytic viral therapy. At the same time, this research will allow us to gain a better understanding of regulatory processes that are involved in cellular transformation.