Our laboratory studies interactions between neurotropic viruses, infected neurons, and infiltrating immune cells in the brain. Specifically, we address how various immune cells and cytokines impact  neurodevelopment and function during neonatal CNS infections. Our group utilizes a mouse model of central nervous system infection (NSE-CD46+ mice) to induce inflammation in the brain through a neuron-restricted measles virus infection. Current projects in the lab involve studying how inflammatory cytokines alter cell fate decisions and survival of neural precursor cells in the brain, how the adaptive immune response leads to neuronal loss in the neonatal CNS, and how an anti-viral response in the pediatric and adult brain affects behavior and memory.