Truc Pham
Program: Unspecified
Current advisor:
Undergraduate university: Union College-New York
Research summary
My rotation project aims to investigate the role of LRP2 in Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) infection. WEEV is an alphavirus transmitted to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes, causing fever, headache, arthralgia, and myalgia. Rare complications are severe, including meningitis and encephalitis, which can result in long-term neurologic deficits and death. Currently, there are no specific antiviral treatments or vaccines. My project explores the LRP2 receptor as a potential entry factor required for WEEV infection. First, I assessed LRP2’s ability to promote WEEV infection by infecting LRP2-overexpressing cells with WEEV and evaluating infectivity with flow cytometry. Second, I performed loss of function study by creating LRP2 knockout cell lines via CRISPR editing and evaluating their susceptibility to WEEV infection.
Graduate publications