HCMV infection of HPCs provides a reservoir for infected cells and results in dramatically altered patterns of hematopoiesis. While recent research has begun to describe some viral gene products involved in latency and reactivation, much remains to be understood about how these, and other viral genes, cooperate and manipulate the host cell system. Using novel and tractable model systems of viral latency and reactivation, and human hematopoiesis, our lab will elucidate the role of HCMV in controlling hematopoietic cell fate. Determining how HCMV exploits cellular traits to establish latency, maintain a viral reservoir, and manipulate hematopoiesis will help develop novel targeted treatments, a more detailed understanding of hematopoietic mechanisms, and an improved understanding of immune cell fate during viral infection. We will explore a variety of projects to understand viral manipulation of the hematopoietic system via dual control of cellular hematopoiesis and viral latency.