Scott E. Hensley PhD

The Hensley laboratory uses basic virology and immunology techniques to understand how seasonal influenza viruses escape pre-existing immune responses. The laboratory is interested in how seasonal influenza changes from year-to-year, as proteins on the surface of the virus accumulate mutations, a phenomenon known as antigenic drift. Since antigenic drift is often unpredictable, one goal of the Hensley laboratory is to create a universal flu vaccine that will essentially attack viral coat proteins in places that cannot be easily mutated.