Matthew J. Evans, Ph.D.

Research

My research is focused on the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is the leading cause of liver disease in the United States. Treatment that is currently employed on patients with HCV is inadequate, has severe side effects and is only effective in half of the major genotype-infected individuals. We have identified two proteins, claudin-1 and occludin that are essential for the HCV virus to enter a healthy cell, completing the list of known and required HCV entry factors for specific cell types. Using a range of molecular biological and genetic techniques, we will further our understanding of HCV cell entry mechanisms, and will uncover novel antiviral targets that will be used to eradicate this to date unrelenting human pathogen.