Antonella Casola

Member, Institute for Human Infections & Immunity

Dr. Casola is a physician-scientist specialized in pediatric infectious diseases, with research expertise in the area of respiratory viral pathogens, lung inflammation, and cell signaling. Her research is focused on the investigation of viral- and host-specific mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of respiratory viral infections. Over the past several years, she has identified several inducible intracellular signaling pathways activated by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in airway epithelial cells with particular emphasis on the role of reactive oxygen species in RSV induced lung inflammation both in vitro and in vivo, using a mouse model of RSV infection. Her research efforts include investigating the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases caused by human metapneumovirus (hMPV). Her laboratory uses recombinant hMPV viruses to investigate specific viral protein functions, with the ultimate goal to understand disease pathogenesis and design effective vaccines.