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Connolly Lab (Herpesvirus Entry & Membrane Fusion) (CSH-020)

Connolly Lab (Herpesvirus Entry & Membrane Fusion) is documented in the DePaul Resource Map as research laboratory at DePaul University, College of Science and Health, Health Sciences / Biological Sciences, Lincoln Park. The Connolly Lab studies how herpesviruses achieve the first step of infection — entry into a host cell. Research focuses on how viral surface glycoproteins interact with each other and with cellular factors to trigger fusion of the viral and cellular membranes, and on how the viral fusion protein physically refolds to drive membrane merger. Access: 🟡 Yellow — Needs an appointment or affiliation.

Summary 🟡 ✓

  • College / school: College of Science and Health
  • Sub-unit: Health Sciences / Biological Sciences
  • Campus/Location: Lincoln Park
  • Last Verified: June 14, 2026

Access (availability): 🟢 Green — open or routine · 🟡 Yellow — appointment or affiliation · 🔴 Red — restricted · ⚪/⚫ White/Black — not yet classified

Verification: ✓ confirmed · ~ likely · ? needs review · ✕ archived

Description & capabilities

The Connolly Lab studies how herpesviruses achieve the first step of infection — entry into a host cell. Research focuses on how viral surface glycoproteins interact with each other and with cellular factors to trigger fusion of the viral and cellular membranes, and on how the viral fusion protein physically refolds to drive membrane merger. The lab uses molecular biology, microbiology, cell biology, and protein-biochemistry approaches, using herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) as a model. The work is supported by NIH funding.

Access status

  • Access: 🟡 Yellow — Needs an appointment or affiliation
  • Rationale: Academic research lab represented by a faculty profile with published contact; access is by arrangement with the PI.
  • Access URL: www.depaul.edu/faculty/sarah-connolly
  • Contact name: Sarah Connolly
  • Contact email: sarah.connolly@depaul.edu
  • Verification date: 2026-06-14
  • Source URLs:
  • www.depaul.edu/faculty/sarah-connolly

Verification

  • Status: ✓ Confirmed
  • Rationale: Official DePaul faculty page describes the Connolly lab's research program; corroborated by DePaul Find-an-Expert and NIH-funded peer-reviewed publications.
  • Last verified: 2026-06-14
  • Evidence:
  • Faculty page https://www.depaul.edu/faculty/sarah-connolly ("The goal of the Connolly lab…")
  • Find an Expert https://resources.depaul.edu/newsroom/find-an-expert/Pages/default.aspx?dpusearchbyid=77
  • NIH-funded publications (PubMed 33087881; R01 AI067048/AI076183/AI137267)

Equipment

Molecular biology and virology lab; no dedicated public hardware inventory.

Last verified: July 29, 2026.

Contacts (resource-level)

People & contacts

Named contacts when publicly documented.

Source URL

Official links and email are listed under Contacts above.

Documented Relationships

Led by Sarah Connolly, Professor and Chair of Health Sciences (joint appointment with Biological Sciences). NIH-funded HSV entry research; grant GRA-279 (NIH, "Mechanism of herpes simplex virus (HSV) induced membrane fusion") linked to this lab.

None yet.

Notes

PI Sarah Connolly (PER-119). Promoted from candidate RC-006 on 2026-06-14 via institutional web evidence (institutional report