Dr. Slifka investigates the underlying mechanisms of humoral and cell-mediated immunity against acute and chronic viral infections.This work has included developing several models of viral infection and/or vaccination in order to address basic immunological questions related to the development and maintenance of long-term protective immunity.
Slifka and colleagues also have developed a series of clinical studies in which they study immunological memory directly in human subjects. During the course of this work, they study a number of viruses including arenaviruses (lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, LCMV), alphaviruses (chikungunya virus, Eastern-, Western-, and Venezualen equine encephalitis viruses), flaviviruses (West Nile virus, yellow fever, dengue and Zika), and orthopoxviruses (vaccinia, cowpox, and monkeypox).