Our Research
Our research investigates the replication and pathogenic mechanisms of intestinal RNA viruses, with a particular focus on how these viruses spread beyond the gut to infect the central nervous system (CNS). Many common enteric viruses are neurotropic, capable of causing encephalitis, meningitis, and other neurological complications. Among these, picornaviruses and astroviruses stand out for their dual ability to infect both intestinal and neuronal cells.
Using human intestinal and brain organoids as experimental platforms, we aim to uncover the organ-specific determinants that govern enteric and neuronal infections. In parallel, we employ a neuron infection model to dissect the mechanisms underlying CNS-specific viral pathogenesis.
Our work integrates advanced molecular tools to address key questions in enteric virus biology:
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Define host–pathogen interactions to reveal the molecular processes driving each stage of infection, including cell-type specificity in both intestinal and neuronal environments.
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Characterise tissue-specific regulation of viral protein synthesis and the specialised host responses of the CNS.
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Elucidate the roles of viral RNA structures in replication, tropism, and neurovirulence.
By investigating these processes in two distinct virus families, we aim to identify both shared and virus-specific principles that shape host–pathogen interactions along the gut-to-brain axis. Ultimately, our findings will deepen the understanding of tissue-specific viral pathogenesis, paving the way for improved antiviral therapies, vaccine development, and evidence-based public health strategies.
Key publications:
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1. O’Connor RL, Cook GM, Hankinson J, Fominykh K, Cheng SH, Nash D, Cenier A, Nayak KM, Graham SG, Deane JE, Zilbauer M, Firth AE, Lulla V*. Flexibility and modulation of translation initiation in enterovirus genomes. (2025). BioRxiv.
2. Lulla V* and Sridhar A*. Understanding neurotropic enteric viruses: routes of infection and mechanisms of attenuation. (2024). Review. Cell Mol Life Sci, 81(1):413.
3. Ali H, Noyvert D, Hankinson J, Lindsey G, Lulla A., Lulla V*. The astrovirus N-terminal nonstructural protein anchors replication complexes to the perinuclear ER membranes. (2024). PLOS Pathogens, 20(7):e1011959.
4. Ali H, Lulla A, Nicholson AS, Hankinson J, Wignall-Fleming EB, O'Connor RL, Vu D-L, Graham SC, Deane JE, Guix S, Lulla V*. Attenuation hotspots in neurotropic human astroviruses. (2023). PLOS Biology, 21(7):e3001815.
5. Lulla V*, Wandel M, Bandyra KJ, Ulferts R, Wu M, Dendooven T, Yang X, Doyle N, Oerum S, Beale R, O’Rourke S, Randow F, Maier H, Scott W*, Ding Y*, Firth AE*, Bloznelyte K*, Luisi B*. (2021). Targeting the conserved stem loop 2 motif in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Journal of Virology, 95(14):e0066321.
6. Lulla V*, Firth AE* (2020). A hidden gene in astroviruses encodes a viroporin. Nature Communications, 11(1):4070.
7. Lulla V*, Dinan AM, Hosmillo M, Chaudhry Y, Sherry L, Irigoyen N, Nayak KM, Stonehouse NJ, Zilbauer M, Goodfellow I, Firth AE*. (2019). An upstream protein-coding region in enteroviruses modulates virus infection in gut epithelial cells. Nature Microbiology, 4(2):280-292.
Full publication list on Google Scholar
Dr Valeria Lulla
Principal Investigator
Group Members
Past lab members: Dr Hashim Ali (now at UCL), Gemma Lindsey (part II student), Samantha Cheng (EPLS Summer student), Morgan Reid (EPLS Summer student), and Imran Darr (part II student).