Biography:

 

Dr. Tokuyama is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of British Columbia. Her lab studies virus-host interactions including sexually transmitted infections (HSV-2 and ZIKV), influenza, and endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). One of the key areas of research in the lab is investigating mucosal immune responses to STIs in the female genital tract using mouse models and vaginal organoids to study host responses to vaginal infections. We seek to identify factors that increase vaginal mucosal barrier and antiviral immunity to design better therapeutics for vaginal infections. We also probe the intersection between vaginal microbiota, viruses, and immunity to better understand how transkingdom interactions shape vaginal immune responses.