Jeff Li

Dengue Virus Pathogenesis in a Mouse Model

Dengue virus is one of the most increasingly concerning mosquito-borne diseases that infects almost 400 million individuals annually at tremendous cost to not just afflicted patients but entire healthcare infrastructure systems. My research this coming Summer is a continuation of my work in the Harris lab since Fall 2017 where I have been investigating the role of dengue virus non-structural protein (NS1) on the pathogenesis of the disease. Specifically, my research scope focuses on if NS1-induced vascular leak (one of the main clinical indicators of disease) can be inhibited by monoclonal antibodies or anti-sera targeting NS1 in a mouse model. The hope is that findings from this research initiative will provide preliminary data with the potential for future implications on the development of protective vaccines and therapeutic treatments.

Message to Sponsor

Thank you so much for your generous contributions to the URAP summer program. As a native to Miami, FL, the Zika outbreak of 2016 -- a mosquito-borne flavivirus in the same family as dengue -- had a profound impact on my perspective on infectious diseases and drove home the notion that these are global public health concerns not limited to what are often perceived as distant, third world nation problems. I am incredibly grateful for this wonderful opportunity to to continue working in a field that has so much personal meaning to me and to contribute to important research on the frontline of human discovery that has direct (and potentially immediate) real-world applications.

Major: Public Health
Mentor: Dr. Eva Harris