William Miller is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He earned his undergraduate degree in Genetics and Development from the Pennsylvania State University and obtained his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under the guidance of Dr. Nancy Raab-Traub. Drs. Miller and Raab-Traub investigated the role of the Epstein-Barr Virus Latent Membrane Protein 1 in epithelial cell transformation and demonstrated that signaling through TNF receptor associated factors (TRAFs) played a central role in LMP1’s mechanisms of action.
After receiving his Ph.D. he pursued postdoctoral work with Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina where his work investigated mechanisms of G-protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) Signaling and uncovered novel roles for the beta-arrestin proteins in GPCR signaling.
Dr. Miller joined the Department of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology in 2002 and established a laboratory focused on understanding the role of herpesvirus encoded GPCRs (vGPCRs) in promoting viral replication. His laboratory is currently focused on understanding how these vGPCRs facilitate replication in the salivary epithelium where it positions itself for efficient horizontal transmission. To that end, the laboratory has recently pursued the use of novel primary salivary cell systems to explore the roles of these vGPCRs within this tissue type.
