Seema Lakdawala is an Associate Professor in the Microbiology and Immunology Department at the Emory School of Medicine. Her lab studies epidemiological success of influenza A viruses to better predict future pandemics. Specifically, Lakdawala Lab is interested in intracellular assembly of influenza viruses and person-to-person transmission of viruses. They combine biochemistry and sophisticated microscopy tools to define where, when and how assembly of influenza genomic RNA occurs. This research has broad implications for understanding the reassortment potential of circulating animal influenza viruses and may lead to the development of new antiviral targets.
In addition, airborne transmission of influenza viruses is critical for rapid spread of the virus during epidemics and pandemics. They have established a method to study the viability of influenza viruses in expelled aerosols and droplets at different environmental conditions, as well as the airborne transmissibility of influenza viruses in the ferret model. These studies will define the viral and environmental properties that promote the spread of influenza. Combining these two areas of research, they will be able to develop a comprehensive surveillance system to determine the pandemic potential of circulating zoonotic influenza viruses, which will be useful in all areas of pandemic preparedness.
