1. Candidate. I am a 31-year-old physician with a primary research interest in the mechanisms by which viruses interact with endocrine cells. I completed a 2 1/2 year fellowship in endocrinology in June 1982. Since that time, I have had an appointment as an Instructor at the Harvard Medical School and as a Research Associate at the Joslin Diabetes Center. I have been pursuing my research in Dr. C. Ronald Kahn's laboratory. My long-term goal is to continue to do research in an academic setting. 2. Research. Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a serious illness which produces significant morbidity and mortality in man. Thus far, no clear etiology has been defined although various studies suggest that viruses and autoimmunity may play a role. We propose to examine various aspects of the pathogenesis of reovirus infection in endocrine cells. We will characterize receptors for reovirus, and characterize the effect of reovirus infection on specific cellular function of endocrine cells. We will also examine the role of persistent viral infection in altering endocrine cell function. We will also evaluate the role of lysosomes in viral processing and the effect of lysosomotropic agents on the course of viral infection. 3. Environment. The primary sponsor's laboratory is expert in dealing with peptide hormone receptors and hormone receptor interactions. The lab of the secondary sponsor is equally expert in the molecular genetics of viruses.
