Priya

Duggal

, PhD, MPH

My primary research interest is on understanding the relationship between host, infection and immunity. Specifically, I am interested in human genetics and the intersection with pathogen genetics, inflammation and the immune system. The exposure to an environmental pathogen is critical to risk, but genes in the host can influence innate and adaptive immunity and thus the risk of disease and its severity. My goal is to identify the underlying mechanisms of infectious disease by identifying host genetic variants that alter or influence our immune response.

I work with adult and pediatric populations within the United States and Internationally. My research encompasses viruses like hepatitis B and C and HIV, enterovirus and SARS-CoV-2 as well as a strong focus on enteric infections that affect young children in poor sanitary conditions.

For a more general genetics focus, I am leading the genetics arm of the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) study that includes 40,000 children and mothers. This study provides us the opportunity to examine the interactions of environment and genetics and its impact on child health and disease.



And with the COVID-19 pandemic we have played a role in examining the host genetics of COVID-19 severity in our study COVIDgene as well as understanding long COVID in an International study of post acute symptoms following COVID-19 infection. For more information please link to www.covid-long.com