Vinita Singh Chauhan, Ph.D.

CBES Area of Interest:

My research interests include determining the role of the neuropeptide substance P in microbially induced inflammation of the central nervous system. We seek to understand the role of resident glial cells of the CNS in the initiation and augmentation of neuro-degenerative inflammation and the possibility of using a systemically delivered antagonist to abrogate this inflammation. In addition to this, I have been involved in recent studies determining the role of Epstein Barr Virus infection in the cancer progression and metastasis. We have shown exacerbated metastatic disease in mice harboring murine gamma herpes-virus following transplantation of breast cancer cell lines. Since this murine gamma-herpes virus has been used as a model to study EBV infection, the use of transplantable breast tumor lines in mice harboring latent virus will allow us to address questions that could not be easily investigated in patients.

CBES Area of Expertise:

Host-pathogen interactions, immune response, pattern recognition receptors in the central nervous system.