Achievement

IGERT Fellow Sara Garamszegi received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship covering academic years 2011-2014, allowing her to pursue research with Dr. Yu Xia (Chemistry) and Dr. John Connor (Microbiology). Her proposed thesis work integrates computational and experimental analyses of the host-virus interactome. Virology is typically conducted using a reductionist approach which examines virus-specific interaction signatures (e.g. host response to infection) using high-resolution experimental data analysis, such as microarrays. In contrast, a systems biology approach can elucidate general mechanisms governing host-virus interaction, using for example protein-protein interaction networks. Integrating the two disciplines will provide information about universally applicable patterns of viral infection, while simultaneously examining the consequences of specific host-pathogen interactions. Sara is representing the Bioinformatics Program in the 2011 IGERT Trainee Poster Competition.