University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Microbiology & ImmunologyViral Immunology and Vaccine Development Lab
Michael Gale · Minneapolis, Minnesota
Research Focus
Dr. Michael Gale's lab at the University of Minnesota focuses on understanding how the immune system responds to viral infections, specifically West Nile virus and the use of a unique vaccine strategy for HIV prevention. The research explores both the mechanisms that allow viruses to invade the central nervous system and how vaccines can be designed to elicit effective immune responses. By using innovative models and advanced sequencing technologies, the lab aims to uncover critical information that could lead to better treatments and vaccines against these serious viral threats.
West Nile VirusHIV VaccineInnate ImmunityViral NeuroinvasionCytomegalovirusImmunologySingle-cell SequencingInflammationSIVIL-15
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the immune response to West Nile virus and its effects on central nervous system diseases.
AIM 02Define the mechanisms through which viral infections can invade the central nervous system.
AIM 03Determine how a CMV-based vaccine can induce effective immune responses against HIV/SIV infection.
AIM 04Explore the role of IL-15 in programming protective immunity from SIV vaccines.
AIM 05Develop predictive biomarkers for vaccine efficacy based on immune response data.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRcell culturemouse modelsRNA sequencingflow cytometrybioinformaticsspatial transcriptomicsin vivo studiesimmunohistochemistrymolecular biology techniques
Output against the department
Publications562top 4% of dept.21st of 486
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations47ktop 5% of dept.22nd of 486
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.