Paul Ahlquist

Paul Ahlquist

Director, John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Center for Research in Virology

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(608) 316-4460

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I am honored to lead the John and Jeanne Rowe Center for Research in Virology at the Morgridge Institute.  To address expanding viral threats exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rowe Center’s growing cluster of group leaders and their research teams are advancing understanding of viruses, viral diseases, and related cellular and organismal biology, and using their discoveries to develop more effective and broader spectrum antiviral controls.  My Morgridge Institute activities are complemented and mutually strengthened by my roles at UW–Madison, where I am the Kaesberg Professor of Oncology, Molecular Virology and Plant Pathology, the Steenbock Professor of Microbiological Sciences, and the Associate Director for Basic Sciences at the UW Carbone Cancer Center.

Our own group’s research covers multiple important viruses and spans fundamental laboratory studies to clinical / translational studies with large collections of patient samples.  Our current research focus on crucial targets to control viruses and their diseases, including the structure, assembly and function of RNA virus genome replication complexes; mechanisms of HIV gene expression, latency and transmission; and genome-wide molecular changes associated with human papillomavirus-induced cancers.

Areas of Expertise

  • Molecular mechanisms of viral replication and gene expression
  • Evolution, interrelationships and engineering of viral genomes
  • Mechanisms of viral pathology and oncogenesis
  • Prevention, diagnosis and therapy of virus infections and virus-associated cancers

Education

B.S., Physics, Iowa State University

Ph.D., Biophysics, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Honors

  • Elected member, National Academy of Sciences USA
  • Elected fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • US National Institutes of Health MERIT Award
  • US National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award
  • Van Arkel Honorary Faculty Chair in Biochemistry, Leiden University, The Netherlands
  • Hilldale Award in Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin – Madison
  • UW Carbone Cancer Center Ride Scholar
  • Allen Research Award, American Phytopathology Society

Selected Publications

  • Den Boon J, Nishikiori M, Zhan H, Ahlquist P.  (2024)  Positive-strand RNA virus genome replication organelles: structure, assembly, control.  Trends in Genetics 40:681-693.
  • Spurgeon M, Townsend E, Blaine-Sauera S, McGregore S, Horswill M, den Boon J, Ahlquist P, Kalan L, Lambert P. (2024)  Key aspects of papillomavirus infection influence the host cervicovaginal microbiome in a preclinical murine papillomavirus infection model. mBio 15:e0093324.
  • Bruce J, Park E, Horswill M, Richards A, Potts G, Hebert A, Magnano C, Islam N, Coon JJ, Gitter A, Sherer N, Ahlquist P.  (2023)  HIV-1 virological synapse formation enhances infection spread by dysregulating Aurora Kinase B.  PLoS Pathogens 19:e1011492.
  • Zhan H, Unchwaniwala N, Rebolledo-Viveros A, Pennington J, Horswill M, Broadberry R, Myers J, den Boon J, Grant T, Ahlquist P.  Nodavirus RNA replication crown architecture reveals proto-crown precursor and viral protein A conformational switching.  bioRxiv (2022) doi: 10.1101/2022.12.16.520638  /  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A (2023) 120:e2217412120.
  • Nishikiori, M, den Boon JA, Unchwaniwala N, Ahlquist P.  (2022) Crowning touches in positive-strand RNA virus genome replication complex structure and function.  Annual Review of Virology, 9:193-212.
  • Bruce JW, Bracken M, Evans E, Sherer N, Ahlquist P. (2021) ZBTB2 represses HIV-1 transcription and is regulated by HIV-1 Vpr and cellular DNA damage responses. PLoS Pathogens 17:e1009364.
  • Nishikiori, M and Ahlquist P.  (2021)  Transmembrane redox regulation of genome replication functions in positive-strand RNA viruses.  Current Opinion in Virology 47:25-31.
  • Unchwaniwala N and Ahlquist P.  (2020) Coronavirus dons a new crown.  Science 369:1306-1307.
  • Unchwaniwala N, Zhan H, Pennington J, Horswill M, den Boon JA and Ahlquist P. (2020) Subdomain cryo-EM structure of nodaviral replication protein A crown complex provides mechanistic insights into RNA genome replication. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 117:18680-18691.
  • Nishikiori M and Ahlquist P. (2018) Organelle Luminal Dependence of (+)strand RNA Virus Replication Reveals a Hidden Druggable Target.  Science Advances  4:eaap8258.
  • Ertel KJ, Benefield D, Castaño-Diez D, Pennington J, Horswill M, den Boon JA, Otegui MS, Ahlquist P.  (2017)  Cryo-Electron Tomography Reveals Novel Features of a Viral RNA Replication Compartment.  eLife 6:e25940.
  • Spurgeon M, den Boon J, Horswill M, Barthakur S, Forouzan O, Rader J, Beebe J, Roopra A, Ahlquist P, and Lambert PF. (2017) Human Papillomavirus Oncogenes Reprogram the Cervical Cancer Micro-environment Independently of and Synergistically with Estrogen. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 114:E9076-E9085.
  • Pocock GM, Becker JT, Swanson CM, Ahlquist P, Sherer NM. (2016) HIV-1 and M-PMV RNA Nuclear Export Elements Program Viral Genomes for Distinct Cytoplasmic Trafficking Behaviors.  PLoS Pathogens 12:e1005565.
  • den Boon J,  Pyeon D, Wang S, Horswill M, Schiffman M, Sherman M, Zuna R, Wang Z, Hewitt S, Pearson R, Schott M, Chung L, He Q, Lambert P, Walker J, Newton M, Wentzensen N, and Ahlquist P (2015)  Molecular Transitions from Papillomavirus Infection to Cervical Precancer and Cancer: Role of Stromal Estrogen Receptor Signaling.  Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 112:E3255-64.