David Wang

Biography

Associate Professor Molecular Microbiology Pathology and Immunology

Research Interest

Research in our laboratory is focused on the identification and characterization of novel viruses. This is motivated largely by the fact that the etiologies of many diseases remain cryptic; for example, 70% of cases of viral encephalitis and 30% of respiratory tract infections defy the most sophisticated diagnostic tests used today, suggesting that unknown agents are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Furthermore, new emerging viruses (e.g. SARS) pose constant threats to public health. We have developed novel DNA microarray and high throughput sequencing approaches to identify novel viruses. These approaches enable systematic and unbiased screening of clinical specimens for the presence of microbial agents.