David Wang, PhD

Professor, Pathology & Immunology

Divisions

Laboratory and Genomic Medicine

Division: Laboratory & Genomic Medicine

Lab Phone: 314-286-1124
Office Location: McDonnell Pediatric Research Building, Room 8250

Titles

Professor, Microbiology

Research Interests

Research in the Wang laboratory is situated at the interface of molecular and cellular virology, genomics, and bioinformatics with the overall goal of exploiting novel viruses to elucidate fundamental biological processes and the etiologies of human disease. A major effort is dedicated to the identification of novel or unrecognized viral pathogens in both established and emerging infectious diseases. We have developed and applied state of the art NextGen sequencing platforms and bioinformatic tools for identifying novel viruses present in a variety of specimen types.

Ongoing research includes virus identification projects in respiratory tract infections, childhood diarrhea, transplant populations, and other diseases of unknown etiology. Identification of novel viral agents will serve as the launching point for additional studies focused on demonstrating disease causality and dissecting mechanisms of viral pathogenesis.  In parallel, we are leveraging our discovery of the first virus of the model organism C. elegans to identify evolutionarily conserved host factors critical for virus infection or antiviral immunity in both nematodes and mammals.