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Areas of study include how microbial pathogens (viruses, bacteria, and parasites) cause disease. This includes areas such as basic replication processes, host- pathogen interactions, the design of innovative strategies for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, and the utilization of unique features of these organisms in clinical medicine and biotechnology (e.g., gene therapy, antivirals, or antimicrobials). A special feature of this graduate program is an emphasis on promoting the relationship between basic and clinical research to expedite the application of new discoveries to the treatment and prevention of disease.

Antimicrobial Therapeutics and Drug Discovery
The discovery and clinical implementation of antimicrobial agents has transformed the practice of modern medicine.
Cancer Virology
Several viruses induce uncontrolled cell growth leading to the development of cancer.
Microbial Pathogenesis
The ability of viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotic microbes to cause disease is a function of specific interactions between pathogenic microbes and their host organisms.
Molecular and Cellular Biology of Microbes
The molecular processes that take place within a cell infected by a virus or within pathogenic bacteria and unicellular eukaryotes determine how microbes propagate, and spread within an infected host.