Dr. Erin Elizabeth Doherty is a third-year postdoc at Berkeley's Innovative Genomics Institute, researching molecular and cell biology in the Jennifer Doudna Lab. Her work addresses questions such as how viruses evade detection by the host immune system, how host immune systems adapt to detect evasive viruses, and which viral proteins suppress immunity.
Dr. Doherty and her team work to identify patterns that indicate hosts are infected, even when the virus is difficult to detect. “Oftentimes,” Dr. Doherty explained, “that's nucleic acid or other parts of packaging from the virus that can alert the cell that it's being infected. And so typically, the host is looking for that, but we actually found that the hosts now have evolved to look for mechanisms that the virus is using to try to hide itself.” This research is rigorous, yet has very practical applications. “It's allowed us to screen for viral proteins that suppress the immune system, and so it's become a nice way of having this more high-throughput readout of when viruses are attempting to evade immunity.”
Dr. Doherty was initially drawn to Berkeley for its community-based and interdisciplinary approach, as well as its stimulating intellectual environment. Existing at the boundary of chemistry and molecular biology has given her a unique and sharp perspective on her research and a nurturing academic environment in which to grow.
One of Dr. Doherty’s most memorable Berkeley experiences came from simply being curious and experimenting in her cohort. “My colleague and I were really interested in proteins encoded by giant viruses that typically infect amoeba. And then to properly characterize these proteins from these giant viruses, we actually just got amoeba up and running in the lab.” She explained that she loves the collaborative and encouraging attitude of her lab mates.
In order to seek refuge and clarity away from her research, Dr. Doherty enjoys weightlifting, camping, and hiking around the Bay. She once went camping every single month for a year, which she said was a great way to explore California and de-stress.
Looking ahead, Dr. Doherty is excited to continue her research in the Doudna Lab and better understand viral immunity.