Virology Training Grant

The Virology Training Grant provides continued support of a training program in the Molecular Biology of Eukaryotic Viruses, established at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in 1988.  The goal of the program is to train PhD graduate students in the fundamental aspects of molecular virology as they relate to the regulation of gene expression, virus structure, virus-host interactions and pathogenesis. This program also emphasizes interdisciplinary training in viral proteomics as it relates to structures of viral proteins as well as intact virus particles.

Grant trainees are part of the Virology Research in the Cellular and Molecular Biosciences Graduate Program (CMB) at UCI. This track is comprised of faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and laboratory staff who have shared research interests in virology and related disciplines. The Virology training program includes elective courses in viral gene expression, molecular pathogenesis of viral infections, and scientific writing, as well as a Virology Journal Club.

The Virology Training Program is funded by a T32 training grant from the NIH and The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and was renewed in the Fall of 2020 for another 5-year period for three trainees. Additional support is provided by the UCI Graduate Division equivalent to one additional student slot.  The three NIH Trainees and the Grad Division Fellowship  awardees are named below.

Current Trainees

Jose Moran

Jose Moran

(Marsden Lab)

Stephanie Salazar

Stephanie Salazar

(Koyuncu Lab)

Gema Olivarria

Gema Olivarria

(Lane Lab)

Lavanya Manjunath

Lavanya Manjunath

(Buisson lab)
Grad Division Matching Funds