The parasites that are currently under investigation include two nematodes, Trichinella spiralis and Haemonchus contortus . Trichinella spiralis infects mammalian muscle cells during an early stage in its life cycle.
Infected muscle is induced to undergo genetic reprogramming and to express a unique phenotype.
Major goals of our research are to characterize this phenotype and uncover the mechanisms of the host and parasite that regulate this phenotype. Parasite products that localize to host nuclei and may chronically interfere with host gene expression are a specific focus of our current research. Haemonchus contortus is an abomasal parasite of small ruminants. This parasite has become an important model to investigate biology of parasitic nematodes. Our current research has focused on antigens and biological properties of the nematode intestine.