Arash Grakoui, PhD

Arahs Grakoui, PhD, and his research team are focused on understanding the host immune response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in order to better facilitate vaccine development. They also want to understand the inextricable connectivity between HCV, the immune system and consequent liver damage.

Dr. Grakoui trained initially in molecular virology, studying RNA replication and polyprotein processing of alphaviruses (Sindbis) and flaviviruses (yellow fever and HCV) before pursuing his PhD in immunology at Washington University in St.Louis. During his postdoctoral training as a Cancer Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at The Rockefeller University, Dr. Grakoui combined his two areas of interest, virology and immunology, to systematically dissect the role of HCV-specific effector lymphocytes in HCV infection.