My areas of interest include: a) the development of vaccines and therapies for the prevention of diseases caused by human pathogens, such as human norovirus, the leading viral agent causing acute viral gastroenteritis worldwide, and human metapneumovirus (hMPV), the second most common infectious viral agent that causes respiratory illnesses in children and can cause death in the elderly, among others; b) the study of the molecular mechanisms of the immune response and pathogenesis after a viral infection, as well as pathogen-host interactions, in order to develop potential therapeutic targets that reduce the pathogenesis of these microorganisms and the severity of the disease; c) the study of the impact of viral pathogens on the gut microbiota. Currently, the following studies are being conducted in our laboratory: Development of a candidate vaccine against human norovirus, for which there is currently no commercially available vaccine. These viruses cause more than 95% of non-bacterial epidemic gastroenteritis worldwide. Identification of the genetic components, prevalence, and behavioral patterns of human norovirus variants and genotypes, especially in the Chilean population, with the aim of providing epidemiological evidence for the evaluation of potential vaccines for these viruses. Study of the impact of viral pathogen infection on the gut microbiota of patients with acute gastroenteritis. Development of new tools for the detection and diagnosis of gastrointestinal and