Biography
Dr. Kell recieved a B.A. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with a minor in Political Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2005. She earned Magna Cum Laude distinction for an independent honors' thesis. Dr. Kell earned her PhD in Virology at the Univeristy of Washington Department of Global Health in 2013. She completed postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Michael Gale, Jr at the University of Washington in the Department of Immunology in 2019.
Personal Statement
Bringing both classical virology training as well as a background in immune signaling, my lab aims to define the critical signaling pathways that determine disease outcome for hantavirus infections in humans and reservoir rodents. My postdoctoral research demonstrated that the prototype hantavirus, Hantaan virus, is efficiently recognized by human cytoplasmic pathogen recognition receptors, RIG-I and MDA5, to initiate a robust type I interferon response in human endothelial cells. Starting as an independent investigator in January 2020, in light of the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, our unique advantage as one of two BSL3-trained virology teams at UNM was leveraged to participate in the research effort to battle COVID-19.
The central focus of my research program is to identify critical differences in antiviral signaling pathways that determine the observed contrasting disease outcomes to hantavirus infection. To this end, we have developed novel tools for viral and cellular analysis at the molecular level, including a sense and strand specific quantitative PCR assay to measure hantavirus genome replication, monoclonal antibodies against each of the viral proteins, and unique cellular assays to study emerging viral infections. Our ongoing R21-funded study to map the full interactome of Seoul virus proteins in human and reservoir rat cells has identified numerous proteins that are critical for viral replication and immune modulation. Using these tools, we have interrogated the mechanisms by which hantaviruses evade immune detection in reservoir cells, replication efficiency within cells from relevant host species, and the role of activated endothelial cells in driving inflammation in human hantavirus disease. By defining the mechanisms by which hantaviruses infect and replicate within cells, and the host proteins required for these events, we aim to identify critical targets for antiviral therapeutic development to mitigate human disease.
Areas of Specialty
Virology
Immunology
Virus evolution
Innate immuniy
Key Publications
Journal Article
Kell, Alison, Hemann, E, A Turnbull, J, B Gale, Jr, M, 2020 RIG-I-like receptor activation drives type I IFN and antiviral signaling to limit Hantaan orthohantavirus replication. PLoS pathogens, vol. 16, Issue 4, e1008483
Journal Article
Kell, Alison, Stoddard, Mark, Li, Hui, Marcotrigiano, Joe, Shaw, George, M. Gale, Michael, Sandri-Goldin, R., M. 2015 Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern Recognition of Hepatitis C Virus Transmitted/Founder Variants by RIG-I Is Dependent on U-Core Length Journal of Virology, vol. 89, Issue 21, 11056-11068 https://doi.org/10.1128/jvi.01964-15
Journal Article
Kell, Alison, Wargo, A, R Kurath, G, 2013 The role of virulence in in vivo superinfection fitness of the vertebrate RNA virus infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus. Journal of virology, vol. 87, Issue 14, 8145-57
Journal Article
Monge, F, A Jagadesan, P, Bondu, V, Donabedian, P, L Ista, L, Chi, E, Y Schanze, K, S Whitten, D, G Kell, Alison, 2020 Highly Effective Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Conjugated Polymers and Oligomers. ACS applied materials & interfaces, vol. 12, Issue 50, 55688-55695
Gender
Not Available
Languages
- English
Courses Taught
Molecular Virology – BIOMED 616, co-director, Spring 2022, 2025
Research and Scholarship
Goodson BA, Vazquez VM, Doyle A, Kolaczkowski OM, Liu R, Jia J, Ishida M, Ye C,Kell AM, Bradfute S, Lemus MR, Wang H, Han X, Pu J. SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a blocks lysosomal cholesterol egress by disrupting VPS39-regulated NPC2 trafficking and BMP metabolism. Cell Reports. 2026. PMID: 42287635.2.
LaPointe AT, Ferrara F, Zupancic JM, Montoya AL, Schmidt J, Hung LW, Kell AM,Velappan N. Discovering Novel Therapeutic V(H)Hs for Emerging Viruses: Perspectives from VEEV Selection Strategies. Front Immunol. 2026. PMID: 41659433.3.
LaPointe A, Martinez K, Shou C, Manuelyan I, Botten J, Kell AM#. Specific and versatile monoclonal antibodies for hantavirus research. mSphere. 2025. PMID:412881054.
LaPointe A, Klimaj SD, Kell AM#. Impact of Species and Cell-type on the RNA Replication Kinetics of Seoul Virus. Journal of General Virology. 2025. PMID:413349865.
Gonzalez V, Word C, Guerra-Pilaquinga N, Mazinani M, Fawcett S, Portfors C,Falzarano D, Kell AM, Jangra RK, Banerjee A, Seifert S, Letko M. Viral Suceptibility and innate immune competency of Carollia perspicillata bat cells produced for virological studies. PLoS Biology. 2025. PMID: 402330336.
Klimaj SD, LaPointe A, Martinez K, Acosta EH, Kell AM#. Seoul orthohantavirus evades innate immune activation by reservoir endothelial cells. PLoS Pathogens.2024. PMID: 39585900.7.
Donowitz M, Tse C-M, Sarker R, Lin R, Dokladny K, Rawat M, Horwitz I, Ye CY,McNamara G, In J, Kell AM, Guo C, JuiTsai S, Vong T, Karaba A, Singh V,Sachithanandhan J, Pekosz A, Cox A, Bradfute S, Zachos NC, Gould S, KovbasnjukO. COVID-19 diarrhea is inflammatory, caused by direct viral effects plus major role of virus-induced cytokines. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024. PMID: 39089626.8.
Kaya K, Khalil MI, Fetrow B, Fritz H, Jagadesan P, Bondu V, Ista L, Chi EY, SchanzeKS, Whitten DG, Kell AM#. Rapid and Effective Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by a Cationic Conjugated Oligomer with Visible Light: Studies of Antiviral Activity in Solutions and on Supports. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2022. PMID:35040619.9.
Zhang Z, Whitten DG, Kell AM#. Fluorescent Cellulose Wipe as a New and Sustainable Light-Activated Antibacterial and Antiviral Agent. ACS Materials Letters.2022. 4, 2, 356–362.10.
Soveg FW, Schwerk J, Gokhale NS, Cerosaletti K, Smith JR, Pairo-Castineira E, KellAM, Forero A, Zaver SA, Esser-Nobis K, Roby JA, Hsiang TS, Ozarkar S, Clingan JM,McAnarney ET, Stone AE, Malhotra U, Speake C, Perez J, Balu C, Allenspach EJ,Hyde JL, Menachery VD, Sarkar SN, Woodward JJ, Stetson DB, Baillie JK, BucknerJH, Gale Jr M, Savan R. Endomembrane targeting of human OAS1 p46 augments antiviral activity. Elife. 2021. PMID: 34342578.11.
Simons P, Rinaldi DA, Bondu V, Kell AM, Bradfute S, Lidke D, Buranda T. Integrin activation is an essential component of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Scientific Reports.2021. PMID: 34650161.12.
Monge FA, Jagadesan P, Bondu V, Donabedian PL, Ista L, Chi EY, Schanze KS,Whitten DG, Kell AM#. Highly Effective Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Conjugated Polymers and Oligomers. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 2020. PMID: 33267577.
Perkins DJ, Nofchissey R, Ye C, Donart N, Kell AM, Foo-Hurwitz I, Muller T, BradfuteSB. COVID-19 Global Pandemic Planning: Dry heat incubation and ambient temperature fail to consistently inactivate SARS-CoV-2 on N95 respirators. Experimental Biology and Medicine. 2020. PMID: 3334228314.
Saha B, Chisholm D, Kell AM, Mandell MA. A non-canonical role for the autophagy machinery in anti-retroviral signaling mediated by TRIM5?. PLoS Pathogens. 2020.PMID: 3305296615.
Kell AM#, Hemann E, Turnbull B, Gale Jr M#. RIG-I-like receptor activation drives type I IFN and antiviral signaling to restrict Hantaan orthohantavirus replication. PLoSPathogens. 2020. PMID: 3233020