Ivan is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology at Virginia Tech. For the Replicate thrust in the COMPASS Center, he has been investigating the ability of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) to replicate in liver cells. This is a new area of research for him and has provided him with the opportunity to work with primary liver cells and learn about RVFV molecular biology and pathogenesis.