UC Santa Cruz April 28 lecture to focus on “Viruses & Vaccines”

Professor Rebecca Dubois

As we find ourselves in the middle of a full-blown pandemic, our knowledge of viruses and vaccines has probably increased a little more than what we were accustomed to. Well, if you have some free time on Tues., April 28th at 7 p.m. PT, you may want to attend this free virtual workshop on “Viruses and Vaccines” presented by Rebecca Dubois, assistant professor, biomolecular engineering at UC Santa Cruz. Together with her team, they use an integrated toolkit of structural biology, biochemistry, virology, and immunology to investigate how viruses cause infections and identify weaknesses that can be targeted with vaccines and antiviral therapies.

Understanding the molecular warfare between humans and viruses is foundational to the development of next-generation vaccines. All human viruses must be able to attach to their target cell and transfer their genetic material inside the cell — the virus surface proteins that carry out these entry steps are the same proteins that our immune system can recognize and inactivate.

Professor DuBois studies the molecular mechanisms of human virus surface and replication proteins using a diverse toolkit of techniques. She uses her discoveries to design novel vaccines and antiviral therapeutics. The DuBois Lab's research includes using molecular structures to fight childhood viruses. Before joining UCSC, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, and at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.

Curious enough? Register HERE for this virtual lecture.