Adam Bailey

Credentials: MD, PhD

Position title: Assistant Professor

Email: albailey@wisc.edu

Phone: (585) 505-7928

Lab
Bailey Lab

Education

MD UW-Madison (MSTP)
PhD 
UW-Madison (MSTP, CMP)

Research Summary

The goal of the Bailey Laboratory is to make meaningful contributions to the fight against global infectious diseases. This includes using patient data and patient specimens to study the pathogenesis of infectious diseases in humans; developing new animal models to explore the pathophysiology of viral diseases; using animal models to evaluate new therapeutics and vaccines; utilizing in vitro technologies and high-throughput screens to investigate molecular mechanisms governing host-pathogen interactions; and developing new tools for the diagnosis of emerging infectious diseases. Current projects focus on a variety of areas including the mechanistic basis of hemorrhage in viral hemorrhagic fever; host factors governing yellow fever virus tropism and pathogenesis; virus discovery; and characterization of the immune evasion mechanisms of several RNA viruses. Providing a culture of curiosity, creativity, respect, and rigor in which the next generation of scientists can maximize their learning potential is also a critical component of the Bailey Lab’s mission.

Research Detail

Viral hemorrhagic fever. The majority of viral infections do not cause major perturbations to the coagulation system. However, the few that do (i.e. hemorrhagic fever viruses) are highly lethal and constitute a major threat to human health as zoonoses and/or potential bioterror agents. Despite this, the underlying mechanisms that drive coagulation aberrations in viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) remain poorly understood. Recently, our work demonstrated that the hemorrhagic disease of severe yellow fever is driven by the activation and consumption of coagulation factors (i.e. consumptive coagulopathy), similar to what occurs in ebolavirus disease. Using yellow fever virus (YFV) and ebolavirus (EBOV) as model VHF-causing pathogens, the Bailey Lab seeks to understand the mechanisms governing coagulopathy in VHF.

COVID-19 and emerging pathogens. Counteracting the threat that emerging viruses pose to OneHeath (https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/index.html) is a major focus of the Bailey laboratory, and SARS-CoV-2 has been no exception. We have contributed to the fight against COVID-19 by establishing new models to study SARS-CoV-2 tropism, pathogenesis, and experimental medical countermeasures. He has also pioneered methodologies for propagating and quantifying the SARS-CoV-2, as well as working with clinical laboratories to develop new diagnostic tests. COVID-19 research continues to adapt in an effort to combat this rapidly-evolving situation.

Virus discovery and novel virus biology. We have contributed to the discovery and characterization of several animal viruses. The Bailey Lab continues to investigate fevers of unknown origin (FUO) and suspected viral illnesses by applying cutting-edge research tools to de-identified patient specimens obtained through Dr. Bailey’s role as an Associate Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at UW Hospital.

Persistent RNA virus infection. Successful evasion of the immune system is a prerequisite for cross-species transmission and persistent viral infection. Two genera of viruses (Pegivirus and Simartivirus) capable of transmission between animals of different species are of particular interest because they do not utilize previously described strategies of immune evasion. We have developed novel animals models for both of these viruses, and current research in the Bailey lab aims to understand the mechanistic basis of viral persistence and immune evasion in both natural and non-natural hosts.

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