Jennifer Schepp

The development applicable strategies and efficient vectors for gene transfer for gene therapy, and vaccination for the prevention of infectious diseases are two areas of investigation of the laboratory.  The spectrum of infectious diseases is changing rapidly in conjunction with dramatic changes in society and environment. People today remain vulnerable to a wide array of new and resurgent diseases. These diseases pose a threat due to their ability to spread rapidly around the globe. Unfortunately, there are more disease causing agents than vaccines. The laboratory has focused attention on the West Nile virus (WNV) and the potential of an Adenovirus (Ad)-based vaccine. WNV was recently introduced to North America in 1999, and the frequency of outbreaks in humans has caught the medical community by surprise. Multiple vaccine strategies are currently being pursued; however, these approaches have not yet produced a safe and effective vaccine. Our strategy is to incorporate portions of the West Nile virus genome into our Ad vectors in order to mimic natural infection without actually causing disease. My work involves the construction of the WNV Ad-based vaccines.