My primary research interest is in studying the complex interplay between the host innate immune system and virus infections. We focus on how post-translational modifications contribute to the innate anti-viral response and how viral proteins specifically counteract these responses, using coronaviruses as a model. To address these research questions, we use a variety of molecular, biochemical, and virological techniques.

I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2005 with a B.S. in biochemistry where I began studying viruses in the lab of Dr. James Van Etten. I then obtained a PhD in Molecular Microbiology from Washington University-St. Louis in 2011 where I studied the molecular virology of human cytomegalovirus under the mentorship of Dr. Dong Yu. I then moved to the University of Iowa as a post-doc to study coronavirus replication and pathogenesis under Dr. Stanley Perlman. In 2018 I started my own lab at KU to continue studying coronaviruses.

I am currently an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences where I serve as the research coordinator.