Joana Paulino, PhD

We are a membrane protein biophysics and structural biology research group investigating viral-host protein interactions that allow viruses to bypass the host's native immunity. We investigate how some Flavivirus such as Zika and Powassan virus are able to bypass important physical barriers such as the bloodbrain barrier and the placenta to cause severe disease outcomes, such as microcephaly in the developing embryo and encephalitis. For this purpose, we combine cryo-electron microscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, protein biophysics, and mammalian cell culture to characterize the molecular mechanisms relevant to this disease.