Valery Grdzelishvili

Valery Grdzelishvili is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His research focuses on molecular virology and oncolytic virotherapy, particularly using replication-competent viruses like vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) to target pancreatic cancer cells.

• Ph.D. in Virology (1998), Lomonosov Moscow State University
• M.S./B.S. in Biochemistry (1995), Lomonosov Moscow State University

Dr. Grdzelishvili’s lab investigates the replication mechanisms of nonsegmented negative-strand RNA viruses (order Mononegavirales) and their application in cancer therapy. Key research areas include virus-host interactions, innate immunity in cancer cells, and overcoming resistance to oncolytic viruses through drug combinations and genetic engineering.

Recent publications highlight his work on VSV resistance mechanisms in pancreatic cancer, the impact of cell cycle arrest on viral replication, and strategies to enhance oncolytic efficacy via inhibition of antiviral signaling pathways. His lab also explores the use of VSV as a platform for vaccine vectors and gene therapy.

Current lab members include Cassandra Catacalos, Jacob Hawkins, Aroosh Goje, Nathaniel Foret, Irakli Mataradze, and Charlotte Johnstone.