Niemeyer Lab
Principal Investigator: Christy Sue Niemeyer
Institution: University of Colorado Anschutz (Aurora, CO)
Primary Subfield: Immunology
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are neurotropic alphaherpesviruses that establish lifelong latency in sensory ganglia and are capable of periodic reactivation. While each virus has been independently associated with neurological disease, co-infection and co-reactivation in human trigeminal ganglia (TG) are common and may exacerbate neurological and neurodegenerative outcomes. However, the mechanisms by which latent or subclinical activity of one virus may influence the pathogenic potential of the other remain poorly defined. Emerging evidence suggests that extracellular vesicles (EVs) released from VZV- infected neurons contain host and viral cargo that can modulate immune responses in neighboring cells. This project tests the central hypothesis that non-infectious EVs from VZV-infected neurons suppress innate immune responses in peripheral barrier tissues, such as the olfactory epithelium, thereby facilitating greater HSV-1 replication, spread, and neurovirulence. This immune suppression may accelerate HSV-1 neuroinvasion and increase the risk of CNS-related complications. Furthermore, we hypothesize that restoring interferon signaling, specifi…
Active NIH Awards
- 1R21AI200012-01: Non-Infectious VZV EVs as a novel modulator of HSV-1 Neurovirulence (2026)
- 1R21AG093719-01A1: Selective vulnerability of the locus coeruleus and hypothalamus to HSV-1 infection in Alzheimer's disease progression (2026)
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