Dr. Erica Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University, will present a talk about her research, entitled “Hijacking the Host Cell: How a Cancer-Causing Virus Modulates Metabolism.” Learn more about Dr. Sanchez’s research here.

Kaposi’s Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV) is a cancer-causing virus that establishes a lifelong infection in its host and expresses homologues of host genes. For example, KSHV has hijacked a copy of a G protein-coupled Receptor (GPCR) from the host genome, which it expresses during infection. Dr. Sanchez’s research has focused on understanding how cellular-GPCR signaling controls cellular metabolism. Her data shows that GPCR signaling at both the plasma membrane as well as the endosomal membrane contribute to transcriptional control of metabolic genes. They hypothesize that the viral GPCR (vGPCR), expressed by KSHV, regulates host cell metabolism. Determining the molecular mechanisms activated by vGPCR can uncover potential therapeutic targets to treat KSHV infection.

The presentation will begin at 4:00 PM in Lapham N101 and via Microsoft Teams, preceded by an informal Q&A from 3:45 – 4:00 PM. If you aren’t able to join in person, you can click here to join via Teams.