Craig Forrest

Craig Forrest, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. His research focuses on mechanisms of gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis, including cancer biology, immunology, and systems biology. He leads a lab with current graduate students and a postdoctoral fellow, exploring viral protein functions, host immune responses, and tumor suppression mechanisms.

Education: Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and postdoctoral training at Emory University School of Medicine. His research integrates techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 screens, flow cytometry, and transcriptomics to study viral-host interactions. Current projects include understanding p53 tumor suppression, immune evasion by Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, and vaccine development.

Recent publications highlight contributions to viral latency, lytic replication, and vaccine efficacy. His work is funded by grants from the National Cancer Institute and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The lab actively seeks to expand its research through student rotations and collaborative efforts.