J. Craig Forrest

Federal Grant PI High Impact

Professor

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

faculty

26 h-index 65 pubs 2,893 cited

Research Areas

Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments Immune Response and Inflammation Microbial infections and disease research Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research T-cell and B-cell Immunology SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research COVID-19 epidemiological studies Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies

Links

ORCID Lab Website

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OverviewAI-generated summary

J. Craig Forrest's research program focuses on understanding the pathogenesis of gammaherpesviruses and the immune response to viral infections. He has served as Principal Investigator on multiple NIH-funded grants totaling over $1.2 million, investigating mechanisms of gammaherpesvirus-driven genomic instability in B cells, KSHV LANA functions in viral pathogenesis and immune evasion, and the role of lytic viral genes in oncogenic gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis. He also contributed as a Co-PI on a grant examining how periodontal bacteria enhance oral KSHV pathogenesis and Kaposi's Sarcoma development in HIV+ patients.

His recent publications include work on ACE2 autoantibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection, the Serological Sciences Network (SeroNet) for COVID-19 assay harmonization and epidemiological cohort studies, and pediatric SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Arkansas. Forrest's laboratory has also published on the protective effects of a replication-deficient gammaherpesvirus vaccine in mice and the role of B cell-intrinsic STAT3 in viral latency and interferon suppression during murine gammaherpesvirus 68 infection.

With a career h-index of 26 and over 2,800 citations across 65 publications, Forrest is recognized as a highly cited researcher. He collaborates extensively with colleagues at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including Shana M. Owens and Joshua L. Kennedy.

Metrics

h-index: 26
Publications: 65
Citations: 2,893

Selected Publications

The amplitude of gammaherpesvirus lytic replication dictates adaptive immune activation: Potential implications for KSHV LANA in immune evasion (2026) DOI
Intrinsic p53 activation restricts gammaherpesvirus driven germinal center B cell expansion during latency establishment (2025) DOI
Vaccination with a Replication-Dead Murine Gammaherpesvirus Lacking Viral Pathogenesis Genes Inhibits WT Virus Infection (2024) DOI
Vaccination with a Replication-Dead Murine Gammaherpesvirus Lacking Viral Pathogenesis Genes Inhibits WT Virus Infection (2024) DOI
Molecular Mechanisms of KSHV Latency Establishment and Maintenance (2024) DOI
A replication-deficient gammaherpesvirus vaccine protects mice from lytic disease and reduces latency establishment (2024) DOI
Multifaceted roles for STAT3 in gammaherpesvirus latency revealed through in vivo B cell knockout models (2024) DOI
Intrinsic p53 Activation Restricts Gammaherpesvirus-Driven Germinal Center B Cell Expansion during Latency Establishment (2023) DOI
Replication-dead gammaherpesvirus vaccine protects against acute replication, reactivation from latency, and lethal challenge in mice (2023) DOI
Uracil-DNA glycosylase of murine gammaherpesvirus 68 binds cognate viral replication factors independently of its catalytic residues (2023) DOI
A longitudinal study of SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence and mitigation behaviors among college students at an Arkansas University (2023) DOI
Uracil-DNA Glycosylase of Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 Binds Cognate Viral Replication Factors Independently of its Catalytic Residues (2023) DOI
B cell-intrinsic STAT3-mediated support of latency and interferon suppression during murine gammaherpesvirus 68 infection revealed through an in vivo competition model (2023) DOI
The Serological Sciences Network (SeroNet) for COVID-19: Depth and Breadth of Serology Assays and Plans for Assay Harmonization (2022) DOI
Lytic Replication and Reactivation from B Cells Is Not Required for Establishing or Maintaining Gammaherpesvirus Latency In Vivo (2022) DOI