Prem Lakshmanane, PhD

EMAIL: prem@med.unc.edu

PERSONAL WEBSITE: https://www.med.unc.edu/microimm/directory/premkumar-lakshmanane-phd/

PUBLICATIONS: Publications Link

Research in my laboratory has three interlinked focus areas:

1. IMMUNE RESPONSE TO INFECTION AND VACCINATION: Cutting-edge approaches to evaluate coronavirus and arbovirus antibody responses in those experiencing an infection and in vaccine recipients. We use the knowledge from these studies to design novel antigens for diagnostics, develop mAbs with therapeutic potential, and build prototype vaccine strategies for these viruses in collaboration with virologists, clinicians, and epidemiologists.
2. SERODIAGNOSTICS FOR EMERGING AND REEMERGING VIRAL PATHOGENS: Structure-based approaches to design novel antigens for developing simple and sample-sparing serological assays to support diagnosis, seroprevalence, and serosurveillance of emerging and reemerging viral pathogens. We partner with clinicians and epidemiologists working in national and international research organizations to validate and implement the serological assays developed in the lab. Our laboratory is part of the NIH-funded North Carolina SeroNet Center for Excellence and Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID) Network.
3. MECHANISMS OF ANTIBODY-MEDIATED VIRUS NEUTRALIZATION: Investigate mechanisms of antibody-mediated virus neutralization using techniques such as X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and site-directed mutagenesis to develop strategies for preventing and treating viral infections.