Viruses depend on host cells for the energy and raw materials needed to support their replication and spread. In response, host cells deploy a range of antiviral programs designed to block each step of the viral life cycle. Through countless rounds of evolutionary selection, these virus-host interactions have become more complex. In general, pathogenic viruses cause disease because they antagonize or evade key components of these cellular defense systems. The tenOever Lab investigates these interactions to uncover the cellular and viral mechanisms that drive disease pathogenesis.