Christian Forst, PhD
img_Christian Forst
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR | Genetics and Genomic Sciences
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR | Microbiology
Research Topics
Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Simulation, Coronavirus, Evolution, Gene Expressions, Gene Regulation, Genomics, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Inflammation, Influenza Virus, Mathematical Modeling of Biomedical Systems, Metabolomics, Proteomics, SARS Virus, Systems Biology, Theoretical Biology
Multi-Disciplinary Training Area
Genetics and Genomic Sciences [GGS], Immunology [IMM], Microbiology [MIC]
Multi-scale analysis of single cell sequencing data to dissect the complexity of respiratory infections
The overarching hypothesis of our proposed work is that diversity in virus strains, genetic immune epitopes, and responding immune cells contributes to heterogeneous outcomes of viral infection. By integrating existing large-scale single-cell and bulk transcriptomic data in SARS-CoV-2 and influenza infections, we are able to identify determinants of viral infections and key processes underlying viral replication, and immune response using integrative multi-scale network biology approaches. The research highlights the importance of identifying relevant key-immune processes at a single-cell resolution that control the infection and limit the extent of inflammatory damage. Such findings significantly improves therapeutic options in the fight against these threatening infectious diseases.
Deciphering the Heterogeneous Response to Influenza by a Multi-Scale Systems Approach
Annual influenza epidemics lead to severe illness, life-threatening complications, and death, especially in high-risk groups such as young children, pregnant women, obese individuals, individuals with a compromised immune system, and indigenous populations. However, the precise mechanism of how immune cells mediate recovery in some individuals, but not others, is far from clear. We are using high-throughput genomic, proteomic, and integrated "omic" open-access datasets and resources available via the Bioinformatics Resource Centers (BRCs) in this application to decypher the heterogeneous immune respose to influenza. In particular, we are utilizing immune epitope, viral sequence, and antiviral drug information from the Influenza Research Database (IRD) and combine these data with other public information from studies of human cohorts infected with the influenza virus. Multi-omics single-cell (CITE-seq) data  provides sufficient cellular detail and serve as a “scaffold” of bulk data.

In our view, a comprehensive and genuinely predictive model of these complex relationships can only be achieved through the systematic, integrative, and multi-dimensional OMICS approach. Host response to vaccination and influenza infection is the result of complex traits that involve a combination of host factors along with entire networks of transcripts, proteins, and metabolites. Together these responses impact cellular, tissue, and whole organism behaviors. Thus, the host responses to vaccination and infection are an emergent property of molecular networks. The goal of this integrated systems biology approach is to understand mechanisms of heterogeneous response to Influenza by determining how the interactions among biological components compare between high-risk and lower-risk populations.

Host-Pathogen Systems Biology:
Unlike traditional biological research that focuses on a small set of  components, systems biology studies the complex interactions among a large number of genes, proteins and other elements of biological networks and systems. Host-Pathogen Systems Biology examines the interactions between the components of two distinct organisms: a microbial or viral pathogen and its animal host. With the availability of complete genomic sequences of a variety of hosts and pathogens, together with breakthroughs in proteomics, metabolomics and other experimental areas, the investigation of host-pathogen systems on a multitude of levels of detail has come within reach. 
 
We are particularly interested the role of biochemical networks for the study of complex relationships across species boundaries. Although the research area of host-pathogen systems biology spans multiple spatial and temporal scales, we are focusing on the molecular and cellular aspect of pathogen-host interactions. Our research covers the construction of biochemical networks, the identification of functional response sub-networks and their comparative network analysis. These methods find application in the identification of host markers and drug targets for further drug development and therapeutic interventions. 

BS, University of Vienna

MS, University of Vienna

PhD, University of Vienna

2012

Haberecht Wildhare-Idea Research Award

UT Southwestern Medical Center

2006

Distinguished Performance Award

Los Alamos National Laboratory

1990

Distinguished Performance Scholarship

University of Vienna

1989

Elected student participant of 1989 Nobel Laureate Conference

Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.

Dr. Forst has not yet completed reporting of Industry relationships.

Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.