Viruses cause at least 10-20% of all cancers. Yet, viruses have also been powerful tools for the discovery of oncogenes, tumor suppressors and basic cellular processes. Herpesviruses are no exception. Our laboratory focusses on the beta-herpesvirus, human cytomegalovirus or CMV. CMV latently infects uto 99% of the population worldwide. CMV can reactivate to cause life-threatening disease in leukemia and lymphoma patients undergoing stem cell transplantation. While CMV is not known to cause cancer, oncomodulatory properties have emerged. Our research focuses on understanding how CMV modulates host trafficking and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling e.g. EGFR) and DNA damage repair pathways and the impact of this viral regulation on host cell biology and the maintenance of latency or reactivation from latency.