The Crawford lab studies how viral infection controls human stem cell fate. We are currently working on the mechanisms of cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and HHV-6 - both human beta-herpesviruses - infection in human hematopoietic stem cells and the interplay between viral infection, latency and reactivation with stem cell differentiation and survival. Current projects utilize novel in vitro stem cell/HCMV latency and reactivation models and in vivo humanized mouse models.