MCWMedical College of Wisconsin · Biology
Cytomegalovirus Neurodevelopment Lab
Allison D Ebert · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Research Focus
Dr. Allison D Ebert's lab studies how the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) affects brain development, especially in cases where the virus is transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy. By exploring the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this condition, the lab aims to find new antiviral treatments and better understand the impacts of HCMV infection on the brain and nervous system. Their research combines advanced techniques like single-cell transcriptomics and organoid culture to unravel these complex interactions.
Cytomegaloviruscongenital infectionneurodevelopmentneural progenitor cellsmicrogliaorganotypic culturesantiviral therapieselectrophysiology
Research Aims
3AIM 01Define transcriptional and cellular disruptions caused by HCMV infection in human neural cells.
AIM 02Determine the role of specific HCMV proteins in disrupting brain development.
AIM 03Investigate the impact of HCMV-infected microglia on neural development.
Skills the Lab Values
cell cultureneural progenitor cell differentiation3D cortical organoid constructionsingle-cell transcriptomicscalcium imagingmicroelectrode array analysisimmunofluorescenceRNA sequencingdata analysis using Python
Output against the department
Publications109bottom 38% of dept.637th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations4.9kbottom 37% of dept.650th of 1,033
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.