Morrison Center
Lincoln, NE 68583-0900
(402)-472-9259
Assistant Professor
Dr. Crawford's laboratory studies how viruses manipulate the human immune system. We address questions about how chronic viruses infect and control hematopoietic stem cells. Ongoing projects use biochemistry, virology, immunology, and stem cell biology approaches to address questions in viral pathogenesis, herpesvirus latency and reactivation, hematopoietic stem cell fate, and immune system differentiation. A main focus of the lab is in determining how HCMV (human cytomegalovirus, a common human herpesvirus) exploits cellular traits to establish latency, maintain a viral reservoir, control reactivation, and manipulate hematopoiesis which will help develop novel targeted treatments, a more detailed understanding of hematopoietic mechanisms, and an improved understanding of immune cell fate during viral infection. Other projects look at specific mechanisms of viral genes (i.e. HCMV RL11 region), other beta-herpesviruses (HHV-6a and 6b), and overarching commonalities with other chronic latency-establishing viruses to understand viral manipulation of the hematopoietic system via the interconnected mechanisms of cellular hematopoietic control and viral latency.
Education
2012-2015 |
NIH T32 Postdoctoral fellowship |
2012 |
Ph.D. - Microbiology and Immunology |
2006 |
BS - Microbiology |
2006 |
BS - Biochemistry and Biophysics |
Research
PubMed |
Google Scholar |
Professional Experience
2021 – present |
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry |
2016 – 2021 |
Assistant Staff Scientist, Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute |
2012 – 2016 |
Postdoctoral fellow, Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute |
Honors and Professional Affiliations
2014 – present |
Member, American Society for Virology |
2014 – present |
Member, American Society for Microbiology |
2015 |
International Herpesvirus Workshop Travel Award |
2014 |
International Herpesvirus Workshop Travel Award |
2010 |
Written Research Proposal Award, SUNY Upstate |
2010 |
Biolegend Travel Award for AACR Meeting |
2005-2006 |
Middlekauff Scholarship, Department of Microbiology, OSU |
2005-2006 |
Simmons Scholarship, Department of Microbiology, OSU |
2005-2006 |
Diversity Achievement Scholarship, OSU |