Welcome to the Vidal Lab
Studying molecular interactions between human pathogenic viruses & host innate response to virus infection
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Welcome to the lab page of the Vidal Lab at McGill University, situated at the McGill University Research Centre on Complex Traits (MRCCT) in Montreal, Quebec.
Our lab focuses on why certain individuals are extremely vulnerable to a viral infection and develop severe diseases whereas others remain unharmed when exposed to the same pathogen. Herpes simplex encephalitis, influenza pneumonia, and viral myocarditis are severe but relatively rare occurrences of infections with viruses that are common in the general population. On the other hand, SARS-CoV-2 has been responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic and has infected hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide.
Our laboratory uses specialized mouse genetic models that replicate human diseases to parse genes, proteins, and cells of the host that are implicated in the infection process. We have found proteins involved in virus recognition, signal transduction kinases, and transcription factors, which are critical to the outcome of infection. This information forms the basis for the development of novel interventions that target those mechanisms to improve virus-induced pathologies.
Alice and Nathan working in the BSL3 laboratory
Silvia M. Vidal, Ph.D.
Canada Research Chair in Host Responses to Virus Infections
McGill University | Department of Human Genetics
The Vidal Lab 