ABOUT

I am a structural virologist interested in decoding host-pathogen interactions during viral infections, with a broader goal of therapeutics development to improve human health.

Areas of expertise: #virology #cryo-EM #cryo-ET #X-ray-crystallography

Areas of interest: #host-pathogen interactions #anti-viral therapeutics #antibody therapeutics

Current Affiliation: Purdue University, USA

Email: msevvana@purdue.edu

RESEARCH VISION

High-throughput diagnostic Cryo-EM

Structure and AI based vaccine and therapeutics design

Host-pathogen interactions in

DNA and RNA viruses

3D Architecture of virus infected cells

The core ideas of my research vision are illustrated here.

I currently work on the structure guided discovery of neutralization mechanisms of flaviviruses (Zika virus, HCV), alphaviruses (chikungunya virus) and the assembly pathways of large dsDNA viruses using Cryo-EM and Cryo-ET methods, in the Kuhn and the Rossmann labs at Purdue University. I aim to develop a research program to advance the frontiers of our knowledge in understanding infection mechanisms of diverse RNA viruses and herpesviruses, both at the cellular and molecular level. Another major focus of my research would be to develop high-throughput Cryo-EM based diagnostic methods, with immediate translational impact to address critical medical needs. I am a passionate teacher of structural biology methods and excited to build collaborative research teams and work environments.