Adam Geballe, MD

Dr. Adam Geballe studies the ongoing tug of war between virus and host. In particular, he focuses on cytomegalovirus, or CMV, a common, usually benign, infection. It can cause problems in people with suppressed immune function, such as bone marrow transplant recipients. As we have evolved molecular strategies to prevent infection, CMV has evolved ways to evade them. Dr. Geballe and his team pinpointed the two proteins that human CMV uses to evade the body’s defenses. Various types of CMV infect different organisms, from humans to guinea pigs to certain monkeys. Each has related proteins that allow it to sidestep our defensive strategies. Dr. Geballe aims to understand how these different proteins work and how they evolve. Ultimately, he hopes to better understand the viruses’ ability to counteract our defenses. His long-term goal is to be able to control the pathway to improve human health.