Dr. Heise has 25 years of experience studying how viral and host genetic factors interact to drive susceptibility or resistance to virus-induced disease. His lab uses a wide variety of methodologies, including molecular virology and infectious clone technology, viral immunology, and quantitative genetics to study how viruses affect antiviral immunity and/or disease pathogenesis. As part of this work, Dr. Heise’s group has provided important new insights toward identifying and studying viral virulence determinants for mosquito-borne arboviruses, such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV). His team has also been at the forefront of using mouse genetic reference populations such as the Collaborative Cross (CC) both to develop new models of virus-induced disease and as platforms for studying how host genetic variation contributes to susceptibility to virus-induced disease. Dr. Heise’s research program also has a strong interest in developing broad-spectrum antiviral drugs for treating both existing and future viral pandemic disease threats. In support of this effort, Dr. Heise co-founded the Rapidly Emerging Antiviral Drug Development Initiative (READDI), a UNC-affiliated not-for-profit company that is focused on developing broad-spectrum antiviral drugs for treating both existing viral disease threats, as well as viruses with future pandemic potential across the globe.