Cryptosporidiosis is an important disease of man and animals caused by the protozoal agent Cryptosporidium parvum . Infection of immunocompetent hosts is self-limiting, resulting in replication of the organism in epithelial cells of the intestinal tract.
Infection persists and is life-threatening in humans and animals with defective immune systems.
Goals of my research program include definition of immune mechanisms of protection against C. parvum , development of vaccines for use in immunocompetent hosts, and validation of immunotherapy for immunodeficient hosts. Search the Community of Science .