His research program focuses on the immunopathogensis of respiratory viral infections, especially respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Much of his research looks to understand the RSV G protein’s role in RSV disease pathogenesis, especially as it relates to vaccine and anti-viral drug design. This protein has a chemokine motif that modulates the host response to infection and likely is an important contributor to pathogenesis of disease. The laboratory’s work in animal model systems suggests that binding this region of the G protein with a MAb will both neutralize the virus and decrease the virus-induced inflammation that likely contributes to severity of disease. This work provided the foundation for developing a human monoclonal antibody to treat and prevent RSV disease. Dr. Anderson, with collaborators at CDC, University of Georgia and Emory, is exploring how the role that this chemokine motif and other viral proteins play in RSV disease can contribute to the design of a safe and effective vaccine. He is also collaborating on studies to understand RSV’s role in the development of asthma and evaluate a novel device to detect pathogens and inflammatory markers in the lung and novel ways to measure severity of disease in the lung.