PhD defence M.M. (Mir) Khalid

Viral epidemics and pandemics cause death tolls and severe complications. Emerging viral pandemics and outbreaks are linked to spillover events resulting from human encroachment, deforestation, animal habitat destruction, and global warming. These activities lead to unexpected and accidental exposure to wild animals. A natural host or vector of a virus thus has a chance to spread to humans and gain mutations allowing further spread. At the same time, densely crowded transportations increases the possibility of an outbreak spreading to other countries or distant parts of a country. Growing human population and dense urban living conditions pose more threats for a new or emerging infectious disease to cause outbreaks. The current SARS-CoV2 pandemic and past ZIKV epidemic are both results of spillover events. Without any pre-existing immunity, these viruses can cause higher co-morbidity and mortality. With more infections in a population, these viruses will acquire more mutations to become more adaptable, persistent, and transmissible, thus increasing viral fitness. Viral proteins interact with host proteins to benefit viral replication and infection, leading to higher viral transmission and persistent infection in the host. The host-viral interactions for fitness can explain viral evolution and pathogenesis. At the same time, these interactions can usually disrupt normal function or induction of pathways leading to altered expression or disrupted function of specific protein or pathway. The altered and dysregulated pathway might benefit the virus but will have devastating effects on the host, which appear as symptoms or complications. Studying the role of viral proteins in pathogenesis can help to find a cure or better preventive measures. A starting point is to understand these roles by looking at individual viral proteins and how they interact with host proteins. Finding out how these interactions lead to dysregulation of a hijacked pathway gives insight into the molecular mechanism of viral pathogenesis. This thesis investigated the role of viral proteins of SARS-CoV2 and ZIKV on viral transmission and pathogenesis.

Due to the lockdown, the promotions will not take place publicly in the usual way. A live stream link has been provided to candidate. The ceremony will begin exactly at 15:30.