Skip to main content
Bradford Berges.jpg

Brad Berges

Professor
Microbiology & Molecular Biology

3136 LSB
Provo, UT 84602

Biography

Dr. Berges grew up in the Philadelphia area and is still an avid fan of Philly sports. He earned a BS in microbiology from BYU in 1999, and then a PhD in cell and molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. He did a post-doc at Colorado State University until the summer 2008, and then he was hired at BYU. Dr. Berges' main research focus is on how HIV causes AIDS. He is married to Brooke, and they have four children. In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing.

Research Interests

Our group studies how viruses cause disease in humans. In particular, we are interested in studying viral pathogens that infect human blood cells. Examples include Dengue Virus (DV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), and Kaposi’s Sarcoma Her¬pesvirus (KSHV). A better understanding of these can lead to the development of vaccines to prevent new infections and anti¬viral drugs to treat current infections. The lack of animal models that can be infected with hu¬man viruses and exhibit similar disease has se¬riously hampered these areas of research. In order to study viral infections of human cells in vivo, we use “humanized mice.” A humanized mouse is one in which human cells have been transplanted. In particular, we transplant hu¬man hematopoietic stem cells in newborn mice; this then leads to multi-lineage hematopoiesis (production of a variety of human blood cell types) and the production of a human immune system in the mouse. Antibody and cellular immune responses of human origin can then be generated in the mouse to a pathogen of interest.

DV infects approximately 100 million worldwide per year and the rate is rapidly increasing. Infection can lead to hemorrhagic fever and death, but no vaccines or antiviral are available. About 40 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, and millions die each year from complications due to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). No vaccines exist, and although effective antiviral drugs are available, they have undesirable side effects and the virus can mutate to make them ineffec¬tive. One side-effect of AIDS is that some chronic viral infections that normally exhibit little to no disease can begin to cause serious disease, such as HIV-associated lymphoma, (cancer of white blood cells). Examples of these cancers are found in patients co-infected with HIV and EBV or KSHV. Once again, no vaccines are available for EBV or KSHV, and we have little understanding of how immunosuppression leads to development of cancer.

Work in our lab involves infecting humanized mice with various viral pathogens, and then studying how disease is caused (pathogenesis). Immunization strategies are being investigated to determine what formulations would be most effective for testing potential vaccines in humans. Additionally, antiviral drugs can be tested for efficacy and toxicity. Those who work in the lab gain valuable experience in the areas of: laboratory mouse handling/manipulation, mouse injections, mouse dissec¬tions, drawing blood, production of virus stocks, virus titering, tissue culture (cell lines and primary human hematopoietic stem cells), handling infectious substances, RNA in situ hybridization, immunostaining, flow cytometry (FACS), DNA and RNA extraction, PCR, RT-PCR, and Quantitative PCR, ELISA, and analysis of human immune responses (antibody and cellular).

Teaching Interests

Virology and molecular biology

Education

  • Ph.D., Cell and Molecular Biology , University of Pennsylvania (2005)
  • B.S., Microbiology , Brigham Young University (1999)

Honors and Awards

  • Outstanding Teacher in the BYU College of Life Sciences, BYU College of Life Sciences (2022 - Present)
  • 2021 Skaggs Distinguished Mentoring Fellowship, BYU College of Life Sciences (2021 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, Many worldwide news outles (2021 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, ABC4 (2020 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, BYU Radio (2020 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, BYU website (2020 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, Fox 13 News (2020 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, KJZZ News (2020 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, KSL News (2020 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, KUTV (2020 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, NBC News (2020 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, The Deseret News (2020 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, BYU Alumni Center (2015 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, BYU Magazine (2015 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, BYU Newspaper (2015 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, BYU Radio (2015 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, BYU Radio (2015 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, BYU Radio (2015 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, BYU website (2015 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, Daily Herald (2015 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, Deseret News (2015 - Present)
  • Research Publicity, KUTV Channel 2 Newsw (2015 - Present)
  • Microcredential badge for “implementing student-centered teaching”, BYU Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Faculty Initiative (STEMFI) group (2019 - 2019)
  • Microcredential badge for “learning about student-centered teaching”, BYU Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Faculty Initiative (STEMFI) group (2018 - 2018)

Professional Citizenship

  • Reviewer, Ad Hoc Reviewer, BYU Cancer Research Center (2014 - Present)

Courses Taught

Publications

Madison Gray Israel Guerrero-Arguero Antonio Solis-Leal Richard A Robison Bradford K Berges Brett Earl Pickett Tiana M Scott Antonio Solis-Leal J Brandon Lopez Richard A Robison Bradford K Berges Brett Earl Pickett Ashley Ball Emilee Augenstein Trevor Wienclaw Bradley Richmond Courtney Freestone Jessica Lewis Jared Thompson Brett E Pickett Bradford K Berges Laura J Westhoff Samantha J Hughes Erin Gill Trent Walker Abraham Quaye Bradford K Berges Brian Douglas Poole Edwin J Velazquez T D Brindley G Shrestha E E Bitter J D Cress M H Townsend Bradford K Berges Richard A Robison Kelly Scott Weber Kim Leslie O'Neill Israel Guerrero-Arguero Claudia M Tellez-Freitas Kelly Scott Weber Bradford K Berges Richard A Robison Brett Earl Pickett Vijayalakshmi Nandakumar Tracie Profaizer Bucky K. Lozier Marc G. Elgort Erin T. Larragoite Antonio Solis Leal J. Brandon Lopez Elizabeth S.C.P. Williams Bradford K Berges Vicente Planelles Jenna Rychert Patricia R. Slev Julio C. Delgado Benjamin H Ogilvie Antonio Solis-Leal J Brandon Lopez Brian Douglas Poole Richard A Robison Bradford K Berges Wubin He Xiaoxu Huang Bradford K Berges Yue Wang Ni An Rongjian Su Yanyan Lu Israel Guerrero-Arguero Taalin R. Høj Eleanor Shannon Neeley Tass Bradford K Berges Richard A Robison E J Velazquez T D Brindley G Shrestha E E Bitter J D Cress M H Townsend Bradford K Berges Richard A Robison Kelly Scott Weber Kim Leslie O'Neill Kendall Pogue Jamie L Jensen Carter K. Stancil Daniel G. Ferguson Savannah J. Hughes Emily J. Mello Ryan Burgess Bradford K Berges Abraham Quaye Brian Douglas Poole Trevor Wienclaw Bradford K Berges Bryan B Hair Matthew E Conley Trevor M Wienclaw Mark J Conley Matthew J Heaton Bradford K Berges Kyler J. Haskell Samuel R. Schriever Kenisi D. Fonoimoana Benjamin Haws Bryan B. Hair Trevor M. Wienclaw Erik T. Berges Matthew J Heaton Bradford K Berges R. Amy Fullwood Gregory M. Low Emily P. Chase Meagan Grasley Soren S. Beal Ian M. McCrary Christian W. Daniels Kayleigh Ingersoll Bradford K Berges Bradford K Berges Antonio Solis-Leal R Benjamin Bradford K Berges Antonio Solis-Leal O Igbinedion Christy Strong Martin Schiller Caleb Cornaby Anne Tanner Eric W Stutz Brian Douglas Poole Bradford K Berges Kyle C Jensen Bryan B Hair Trevor M Wienclaw Mark H Murdock Jacob B Hatch Aaron T Trent Tyler D White Kyler J Haskell Bradford K Berges Anne Tanner Steven J Hallam Stanton J Nielsen German I Cuadra Bradford K Berges Branka Horvat Bradford K Berges Paolo Lusso Bradford K Berges Anne Tanner Anne Tanner Stephen E Taylor Wittnee Decottignies Bradford K Berges Anne Tanner Stephanie A Carlson Masatoshi Nukui Eain A Murphy Bradford K Berges Freddy M Sanchez Bradford K Berges Freddy M Sanchez German I Cuadra Stanton J Nielsen Anne Tanner Bradford K Berges Bradford K Berges Mark R Rowan Ramesh Akkina Bradford K Berges Brent Palmer Leila Remling C Preston Neff Jes Kuruvilla Elizabeth Connick Joy Folkvord Kathy Gagliardi Afework Kassu Sarah R Akkina Bradford K Berges S R Akkina L Reming R Akkina Bradford K Berges S. R. Akkina J. M. Folkvord E. Connick R. Akkina

Presentations

Israel Guerrero Taalin Hoj Bradford K Berges Richard A Robison
Christian Daniels Bradford K Berges
Kyler Haskell Sam Schriever Trevor Wienclaw Bryan Hair Benjamin Haws Bradford K Berges
Christian Daniels Bradford K Berges
Christian Daniels Bradford K Berges
Kyler J Haskell Samuel R Schriever Trevor M Wienclaw Bradford K Berges
Kyle C Jensen Trevor M Wienclaw Jacob B Hatch Tyler D White Bryan B Hair Aaron T Trent Kyler J Haskell Bradford K Berges
Kyler J Haskell Trevor M Wienclaw Kyle C Jensen Mark H Murdock Jacob B Hatch Tyler D White Bryan B Hair Aaron T Trent Bradford K Berges
Tyler D White Kyle C Jensen Trevor M Wienclaw Jacob B Hatch Bryan B Hair Aaron T Trent Bradford K Berges
Trevor Wienclaw Kyle Jensen Jacob Hatch Tyler White Bryan Hair Bradford K Berges
Anne Tanner Stephanie Carlson Wittnee Decottignies Steven Hallam Hillary Willyerd Masatoshi Nukui Eain Murphy Bradford K Berges
Kyle Jensen Mark Murdock Jacob Hatch Tyler White Bradford K Berges
Anne Tanner Stephanie A Carlson Wittnee Decottignies Stephen E Taylor Bradford K Berges
Stanton J Nielsen German I Cuadra Bradford K Berges
German I Cuadra Stanton J Nielsen Bradford K Berges
Brad Berges