Dr. Stevens' group studies the biology, pathogenesis, immunology, epidemiology and therapy of fungal and parasitic infections.
Animal models are developed and used to study differences in virulence in fungal strains, their biochemical characterization and interaction with host defenses, particularly the role of therapy with recombinant cytokines and other immunomodulators, and preclinical studies of diagnosis. The infections most intensively investigated, with respect to pathogenesis or therapy, are pulmonary and disseminated aspergillosis, though disseminated coccidioidomycosis is also of major interest. Almost all models are murine, with 1 rabbit model; and 2 avian models (in collaboration with Veterinary School, Univ. of California, Davis). The laboratory has worked on development of panfungal conjugate vaccines, with special focus on Aspergillus and Coccidioides, including discovery of cross-reacting fungal proteins by mass spectroscopy and protein microarray, in collaboration with City of Hope, and using purified glycans supplied by an industrial partner. The chemotherapy of fungal infection is also under study including the evaluation of agents in vitro; for their efficacy, pharmacology, and toxicology in animal models and in human disease. In addition, the use of new drugs in the therapy of a parasitic infection, trypanosomiasis (Chagas’ disease), is being studied in vitro and in mice. The effect of trypanosomiasis on human cardiac stem cells is also being explored (in collaboration with Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford).