University of Florida · GeneticsNorovirus Pathogenesis Unit
Stephanie M Karst · Gainesville, Florida
Research Focus
Dr. Stephanie M. Karst's lab at the University of Florida focuses on understanding how noroviruses cause diarrhea, particularly in young hosts. By using a special mouse model that simulates human disease, the lab investigates the interactions between the virus and the intestinal immune system. This research aims to uncover the mechanisms of norovirus pathogenesis to help combat severe gastrointestinal diseases associated with these viruses.
norovirusgastroenteritisintestinal immunityviral pathogenesisinfectious diseasesmouse modeldiarrheahost-virus interactionsepithelial cells
Research Aims
5AIM 01Elucidate the viral determinants of diarrhea in norovirus infections.
AIM 02Define the key immune cell targets of norovirus infection.
AIM 03Probe the interactions of noroviruses with intestinal epithelial cells.
AIM 04Investigate how the virus disrupts the intestinal epithelium leading to diarrhea.
AIM 05Explore the differences in disease severity between adult and neonatal mouse models.
Skills the Lab Values
animal modelingviral infection assayshistology techniquesimmunohistochemistrycell culturePCRflow cytometryRNA extractiondata analysis
Output against the department
Publications86bottom 25% of dept.193rd of 259
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations5.4kbottom 30% of dept.182nd of 259
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.