Virology



Challenge Area Goals

  • Advance practical understanding, prevention and treatment of viruses and their diseases
  • Enhance understanding of the biology of healthy cells and tissues

  • Develop new tools derived from viruses for use in biotechnology, nanotechnology and medicine

A Howard Hughes Medical Investigator and a University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of oncology at the School of Medicine and Public Health, molecular virology in the Graduate School, and plant pathology in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Paul Ahlquist is bringing new talent to Wisconsin by helping to select and hire up to five top-notch investigators who will enhance research efforts to understand, prevent and treat diseases caused by viruses. A National Academy of Sciences member since 1993, Ahlquist also envisions the potential to develop improved virus-derived tools for use in medicine, biotechnology and nanotechnology.

“We will build on important strengths of the UW-Madison campus to further the understanding and control of viruses that cause acute, chronic and latent infections that lead to devastating diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, AIDS and influenza.”

– Paul Ahlquist