**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** MAREK'S DISEASE, A CANCER-LIKE DISEASE OF CHICKENS IS CAUSED BY A HERPESVIRUS KNOWN AS MAREK'S DISEASE VIRUS. THE USE OF EXTENSIVE VACCINATION BY THE POULTRY INDUSTRY HAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE DISEASE BURDEN. HOWEVER, THE COST OF VACCINATION AND THE EMERGENCE OF NOVEL VIRUSES CAPABLE OF OVERCOMING VACCINATION POSE A SERIOUS ECONOMIC THREAT TO THE POULTRY INDUSTRY. MAREK'S DISEASE VIRUS IS A LARGE VIRUS CODING OVER 100 PROTEINS, SOME OF THESE PROTEINS ARE MODULATED BY SPECIAL PROTEINS CALLED PROTEIN KINASES. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF PROTEIN KINASE IN REGULATING HOW THE VIRUS GROWS AND CAUSE CANCER LIKE DISEASE IN CHICKEN. IN THE FIRST OBJECTIVE, WE PLAN TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC REGIONS OF THIS PROTEIN THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS ACTIVITY. IN THE SECOND OBJECTIVE, WE PLAN TO GENERATE NEW VIRUSES WITH HIGH AND LOW PROTEIN KINASE ACTIVITY TO STUDY ITS ROLE IN CAUSING MAREK'S DISEASE. IN THE LAST OBJECTIVE, WE PLAN TO STUDY HOW INFECTED WHITE BLOOD CELLS ARE MODIFIED BY THE VIRUS TO CAUSE A CANCER LIKE DISEASE.