Newsletter August 2014 - University of Pittsburgh Graduate School

NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 2014
Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
Graduate School of Public Health
University of Pittsburgh
Monto Ho, M.D., In Memoriam
March 28, 1927 - December 9, 2013
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Cover Story p. 1
In Memoriam p. 2
Spotlight News p. 4
Alumni News p. 10
IDM Career Day p. 12
Baby News p. 15
Dean’s Day p. 16
Recent IDM Graduates p. 17
Big News p. 22
National & International Oral & Poster
Presentations p. 23
 Recently Published Articles from IDM p. 25
Monto Ho, M.D., In Memoriam
Charles R. Rinaldo1,2 and Calvin M. Kunin3,4
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health,
and 2Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3Department of Medicine, The Ohio
State University, Columbus; and 4Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson
Clinical Infectious Diseases Advance Access published April 21, 2014.
Monto Ho, a leader in the field of infectious diseases during the past 50 years and world-renowned expert in
interferon and human herpesvirus infections of immunocompromised hosts, died 16 December 2013, after
complications from a fall.
Monto had the special ability to adopt the best qualities of Chinese and Western cultures to his everyday life
and profession. Born in Yiyang, Hunan, China, in 1927, he moved with his family in 1937 to Vienna, Austria, where his
father Feng-Shan Ho had been appointed to the Nationalist Chinese consulate. During 1938–1940, as the Chinese
Consul-General in Vienna, his father issued, against Chinese governmental orders, more than a thousand visas for
Shanghai to Jews, thereby saving them from the Holocaust. For this extraordinary deed, he was awarded posthumously
the “Righteous Among the Nations” award of Yad Vashem in 2001. In honor of his father’s illustrious life and career, Dr
Ho recently translated his father’s biography into English [1].
While Monto was a sophomore at Tsing Hua University in Beijing in 1947, his father was appointed Chinese
Ambassador to Egypt. Monto took the opportunity to transfer to Harvard College, where he was accepted as a junior.
After graduating with high honors, Monto entered Harvard Medical School in 1950, where he received his MD in 1954.
Following an internship and residency on the Harvard Medical Service at the Boston City Hospital, Dr Ho became a
research fellow in infectious diseases under Edward H. Kass and Maxwell Finland, legendary leaders in clinical infectious
diseases and founders of the American Society for Infectious Diseases. Monto then studied for 2 years in the Harvard
laboratory of John F. Enders, Nobel Laureate, where he specialized in virology. It was in Enders’s laboratory that Dr Ho
was introduced to the newly discovered antiviral protein interferon, which was to be central to his early career in
research.
In 1959 Monto accepted dual appointments at the University of Pittsburgh as assistant professor, Department of
Epidemiology, at the Graduate School of Public Health offered by Dr Enders’s close colleague, Dr William McDowell
Hammon, a world leader in poliovirus and arbovirus research, and in the Department of Medicine in the School of
Medicine. In contrast to his peripatetic youth, Dr Ho remained in Pittsburgh for his entire career. After the retirement of
Dr Hammon, Monto became chairman of what is now the Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, one of
only 6 departments focused solely on infectious diseases in schools of public health. Dr Ho’s dedication to his work,
combined with skill at interpersonal relationships, led to him being appointed Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases
in the Department of Medicine and Director of Clinical Microbiology in the Department of Pathology in 1972.
Dr Ho was among the earliest investigators of interferon. He pioneered investigation of the mechanism of action
of interferon, the inducers of interferon including endotoxins, and the mechanism of its induction [2, 3]. He and his
colleagues conducted the earliest clinical trials of type 1 interferons in viral diseases, which delineated its antiviral
effects as well as its limitations. The foremost among these was a trial to prevent herpes labialis after operation for
trigeminal neuralgia [4]. For more than 20 years, Dr Ho and his colleagues studied the serious problem of herpesvirus
infection after transplant. The initial challenge was cytomegalovirus (CMV), and then their studies extended to EpsteinBarr virus (EBV) and herpes simplex and varicella zoster viruses. CMV can cause life endangering pneumonias, and EBV
can cause life-threatening posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders, especially in children. A hallmark study led by
Dr Ho showed that primary CMV infections were transmitted by the transplanted organ [5]. Dr Ho was one of the first to
point out that it is possible to diagnose the risk of primary infections before transplant by determining the CMV serology
of the organ donor and organ recipient, which has become a standard of care in these patients. Following this, Monto
was the key force in establishing the Pittsburgh sites of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study in 1983, an AIDS Clinical Trials
Unit in 1986, and the Pennsylvania AIDS Educational and Training Center in 1988, which are still ongoing and highly
productive.
After retirement in 1997, Dr Ho did not leave his profession. Indeed, as a member of Academia Sinica, he was
invited to the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) in Taiwan for 5 years. There he initiated a national surveillance
of antibiotic resistance and advocated measures to reduce antibiotic resistance in humans and food animals [6]. This
work led to a 43% reduction in antibiotic consumption, and the reduction of some types of resistance. He was awarded a
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“Medal of Public Health, First Class” by the Taiwan Department of Health, and an “Excellence in Research” awarded by
the NHRI.
Dr Ho used research and clinical responsibilities to train a cadre of students and fellows in the Graduate School
of Public Health and in the Departments of Medicine and Pathology in the Pitt Medical School as well as in Taiwan. He
and his colleagues and students published more than 280 scientific papers and 4 books, including 2 editions of what was
for many years the major resource on CMV [7]. In 2005, Dr Ho published a remembrance of his extraordinary life [8].
Monto shared with his esteemed mentors Kass, Finland, and Enders the exceptional human traits of intellectual
excellence and refined gentility of true scholars. Most of all, Monto knew that the essence of his unique, 3-way
academic linkage in the schools of medicine and public health was that he could visualize and address the whole field of
his profession—from disease prevention, to disease diagnosis, and finally to treating patients’ infectious diseases in the
clinic.
Monto truly embodied the Confucius virtue of
jen, wherein he practiced “5 constant virtues” with all
people: courtesy, generosity, honesty, persistence,
and kindness. It is quite fitting that the last act for his
beloved profession was his most generous. In 2006,
Monto and his wife and dear partner in life, Carol,
endowed the Monto and Carol Ho Chair in Infectious
Diseases and Microbiology at the University of
Pittsburgh.
Monto and Carol, who survives her husband,
have 2 children, Bettie Carlson and John Ho, and 3
grandchildren, Caroline, Margaret, and Gregory.
It is only after a friend has left us that we can
measure his greatness and fully appreciate him. We
cherish Monto’s memory as a devotion to family,
friends, and country, as well as important scientific
discoveries that strengthened the foundations of the
field of infectious diseases.
Notes
Acknowledgments. We thank Victor Yu for encouraging this remembrance. Potential conflicts of interest. Both authors:
No reported conflicts. Both authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential
Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed.
References
1. Ho F-S. My forty years as a diplomat. Ho M, trans. and ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Dorrance Publishing Co, Inc, 2010.
2. Ho M. Interferons. N Engl J Med 1962; 266:1313–8.
3. Ho M. Interferon-like viral inhibitor in rabbits after intravenous administration of endotoxin. Science 1964;
146:1472–4.
4. Pazin GJ, Armstrong JA, Lam MT, Tarr GC, Jannetta PJ, Ho M. Prevention of reactivated herpes simplex infection
by human leukocyte interferon after operation on the trigeminal root. N Engl J Med 1979;
301:225–30.
5. Ho M, Suwansirikul S, Dowling JN, Youngblood LA, Armstrong JA. The transplanted kidney as a source of
cytomegalovirus infection. N Engl J Med 1975; 293:1109–12.
6. Lauderdale TL, Clifford McDonald L, Shiau YR, et al. The status of antimicrobial resistance in Taiwan among
gram-negative pathogens: the Taiwan surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (TSAR) program, 2000. Diagn
Microbiol Infect Dis 2004; 48:211–9.
7. Ho M. Cytomegalovirus: biology and infection. 2nd ed. New York: Plenum Medical Book Co, 1991.
8. Ho M. Several worlds: reminiscences and reflections of a Chinese-American physician. Singapore:World Scientific
Publishing Company, 2005.
©copyright August 2014 by Oxford University Press.
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Spotlight News…
Pittsburgh's Medical Community is
Changing the World
Pittsburgh Magazine
April 17, 2014
Pittsburgh has been a center for medical research for decades. As the region’s university and
hospital communities continue to grow and collaborate, the work being done here is changing
— and saving — lives around the world.
Finding a Vaccine for Dengue
The key to a successful vaccine against dengue — a mosquito-spread virus that causes fever and vascular
abnormalities and can be deadly — may lie in the careful study of
blood. Ernesto Marques, Ph.D., M.D., of UPMC’s Center for Vaccine
Research, is looking closely for proteins and antibodies that may
unlock the possibility of immunization.
He’s collaborating with Swiftwater, Pa.-based Sanofi Pasteur to
develop a test that can better determine the efficacy of a vaccine
against dengue. The test that now exists is labor-intensive; in the years
following a vaccination, close to 40,000 participants were followed,
actively questioned and — if they reported any dengue-like symptoms
— required to undergo a series of tests.
The new test streamlines that process, simply testing volunteers at
regular intervals. The process can detect if people are infected with
dengue despite not feeling sick (a time when they still can transmit the
virus). The trial enrollments now are closed, and though the results
haven’t yet been released, Dr. Marques says that they are initially
showing promise compared to past studies.
Through the university, he also partners with Hemobras, which purifies proteins from plasma received from 80
percent of the blood banks in his native Brazil; he tests the immunoglobulins in the samples for immunity. Prior
to that collaboration, blood banks were throwing away plasma because they lacked equipment to purify the
proteins. With many people in this population having suffered and recovered from dengue, Dr. Marques asked
that Hemobras ship antibodies to him so he could study the immunoglobulins to learn what properties are
protective against dengue.
He projects that by using these antibodies, a serum could be made that would help high-risk patients — such as
those with compromised immune systems or who have cardiac disease or cancer — survive a dengue infection.
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Spotlight News con’t…
Tony Silvestre, PhD, Professor of IDM, has been recognized in the new book Legendary Locals of Pittsburgh
(by Joann Cantrell, Arcadia Publishing 2014).
Early AIDS Research
Dr. Anthony (Tony) Silvestre is coinvestigator for the Pitt Men’s Study,
a confidential research study funded
by the National Institutes of Health
that characterizes the natural history
of Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome in gay and bisexual men.
Dr. Silvestre is also a professor and
director of the Pennsylvania
Prevention Project, studying HIV
prevention knowledge, attitudes, and
access to service for people at risk of
HIV infection. The Pitt Men’s Study
has been ongoing in Pittsburgh since
1984, with Dr. Silvestre on board
since its conception. He recalls the
devastation during the early years, a
time when tens of thousands of young
men died while experiencing stigma,
shame, and discrimination. Dr.
Silvestre has lived with the faces of
AIDS patients for more than 30 years
and, to this day, continues to find
ways to keep centered while working
for the cause. (Courtesy of Tony
Silvestre)
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Spotlight News con’t…
Low Cholesterol in Immune Cells Tied to Slow Progression of HIV
Science Daily
April 29, 2014
People infected with HIV whose immune cells have low cholesterol levels experience much slower disease
progression, even without medication, according to University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health
research that could lead to new strategies to control infection.
The Pitt Public Health researchers found that low cholesterol in certain cells, which is likely an inherited trait,
affects the ability of the body to transmit the virus to other cells. The discovery, funded by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), is featured in today’s issue of mBio, the journal of the American Society for
Microbiology.
When HIV enters the body, it is typically picked up by immune system cells called dendritic cells, which recognize
foreign agents and transport the virus to lymph nodes where it is passed to other immune system cells, including
T cells. HIV then uses T cells as its main site of replication. It is through this mechanism that levels of HIV
increase and overwhelm the immune system, leading to AIDS. Once a person develops AIDS, the body can no
longer fight infections and cancers. Prior to effective drug therapy, the person died within one to two years after
the AIDS diagnosis.
“We’ve known for two decades that some people don’t have the dramatic
loss in their T cells and progression to AIDS that you’d expect without
drug therapy,” said lead author Giovanna Rappocciolo, Ph.D., an assistant
professor at Pitt Public Health. “Instead the disease is much slower to
progress, and we believe low cholesterol in dendritic cells may be a
reason.”
The discovery was made possible by using 30 years of data and biologic
specimens collected through the Pitt Men’s Study, a confidential research
study of the natural history of HIV/AIDS, part of the national NIH-funded
Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS).
“We couldn’t have made this discovery without the MACS. Results like
ours are the real pay-off of the past three decades of meticulous data
Dr. Giovanna Rappocciolo
and specimen collection,” said senior author Charles Rinaldo, Ph.D.,
chairman of Pitt Public Health’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, and professor of pathology.
“It is thanks to our dedicated volunteer participants that we are making such important advances in
understanding HIV, and applying it to preventing and treating AIDS.”
Medications called combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) disrupt the viral replication process and can delay
the onset of AIDS by decades.
However, even without taking ART, a small percentage of people infected with HIV do not have the persistent
loss of T cells and increase in levels of HIV after initial infection. They can sometimes go many years, even more
than a decade, without the virus seriously compromising the immune system or leading to AIDS.
Through the Pitt Men’s Study/MACS, eight such “nonprogressors” were assessed twice a year for an average of 11
years and compared to eight typically progressing HIV-positive counterparts.
Dr. Rappocciolo and her colleagues found that in nonprogressors, the dendritic cells were not transferring the
virus to T cells at detectible levels. When taking a closer look at these dendritic cells, the researchers discovered
that the cells had low levels of cholesterol, even though the nonprogressors had regular levels of cholesterol in
their blood. A similar finding was shown for B lymphocytes, which also pass HIV to T cells, leading to high rates of
HIV replication.
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Cholesterol is an essential component of the outer membranes of cells. It is required for HIV to replicate
efficiently in different types of cells. None of the study participants were taking statins, which are cholesterollowering medications that some people take to prevent vascular problems when cholesterol in their blood is too
high.
When HIV was directly mixed with the nonprogressors’ T cells in the laboratory, those T cells became infected
with the virus at the same rate as the T cells of the regularly progressing, HIV-positive participants. Indeed, T
cells from the nonprogressors had normal levels of cholesterol.
“This means that the disruption is unlikely to be due to a problem with the T cells, further supporting our
conclusion that the slow progression is linked to low cholesterol in the dendritic cells and B cells,” said Dr.
Rappocciolo.
“What is most intriguing is that dendritic cells in the nonprogressors had this protective trait years before they
became infected with HIV,” Dr. Rinaldo said. “This strongly suggests that the inability of their dendritic cells and
B cells to pass HIV to their T cells is a protective trait genetically inherited by a small percentage of people.
Understanding how this works could be an important clue in developing new approaches to prevent progression of
HIV infection.”
Additional researchers on this study are Mariel Jais, B.S., Paolo Piazza, Ph.D., Todd A. Reinhart, Sc.D., Stella J.
Berendam, B.S., Laura Garcia-Exposito, Ph.D., and Phalguni Gupta, Ph.D., all of Pitt Public Health.
This research was supported by NIH grants U01-AI35041 and R37-AI41870.
Ebola poses less of a risk than more
contagious infections, Pittsburgh experts say
Health preparedness and procedures in the United States should
prevent a domestic outbreak of Ebola, whose death toll in western
Africa now has topped 1,000.
But a University of Pittsburgh virologist warns that the nation should
focus on its vulnerability to other foreign viruses that are less deadly
but far more contagious than Ebola, with a potential impact similar to
seasonal influenza.
Some already have arrived. Other viruses well established in Africa,
the Middle East or Asia could show up on the next boat or plane and
spread by airborne disease particles, mosquito bites or contact with
humans or livestock.
Amy L. Hartman, PhD, Assistant Professor at the
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of
Public Health, wears the gear worn during work.
Yes, the African Ebola outbreak should generate international concern
with a death rate as high as 90 percent of all cases.
“But I would also issue a word of caution that the public should have some perspective on this,” said Amy L. Hartman, an
assistant professor at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Health. “Even though this is the largest Ebola outbreak ever, there
are other infectious diseases that cause millions of deaths per year — influenza, tuberculosis, dengue, malaria — but do
not have the urban legend status of Ebola.”
But that level of concern and fear has led to development of a potential arsenal of antiviral weapons, including the drug
favipiravir.
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Ms. Hartman, who developed animal models to test the drug, said it’s undergoing final-stage human clinical
trials before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can approve it for human use. So far, the drug has been
highly effective against the flu and better than current medications such as Tamiflu. But there’s also growing
evidence of effectiveness against Ebola and many other viral infections.
“Favipiravir could have an impact on other viruses including West Nile,” Dr. Hartman said.
While there are no FDA-approved vaccines for Ebola, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
is working to develop one. Efforts are underway to expedite a first-phase safety trial on an Ebola vaccine this
fall, while supporting development of an Ebola/Marburg virus vaccine by Crucell, and Ebola vaccine by
Profectus Bioscience. The National Institutes of Health and the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia are
collaborating on an Ebola vaccine based on an already established rabies vaccine, the CDC reports.
Zmapp, an
experimental Ebola
treatment, has yet to be
tested for safety but is
available for
compassionate use in
Liberia in an attempt to
bring the epidemic
under control. The
CDC said it’s too early
to tell if the drug is
effective. The FDA
issued a warning last
week about products
being sold online that
claim to prevent or
treat the Ebola virus,
ever since the outbreak
in Africa occurred.
What some believe to
be exaggerated fears of
an Ebola outbreak in
the United States are
bolstered by the World
Health Organization’s description of it as “one of the world’s most virulent diseases.” It also can be spread by
direct contact with an infected person. The viral hemorrhagic disease causes fever, headache, joint and muscle
aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, lack of appetite and abnormal bleeding, the CDC says. Most
common symptoms appear eight to 10 days after exposure.
But control is possible because a person must have symptoms to be contagious. The United States also has a
strict protocol in place to monitor sick patients en route to the United States and isolate those with the disease in
biomedical containment centers to prevent the virus from spreading.
“Whenever airline officials determine that a sick patient is aboard a plane destined for the United States, the
CDC is notified to investigate whether the ill travelers might require isolation and assure the plane is
disinfected. Such procedures were initiated during the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or
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SARS, in Asia that eventually infected 8,273 people, including 27 cases in the United States, but none of whom
was among the 775 deaths.
Annual health problems of influenza reflect the potential impact Americans might face if chikungunya, Rift
Valley fever virus and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), among many others, arrive in coming
months or years. The CDC estimates that seasonal flu infects 5 percent to 20 percent of the U.S. population (as
high as 64 million people) with more than 200,000 people hospitalized for flu-related complications annually.
“Over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of [annual] flu-associated deaths in the United
States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people,” the CDC says.
As with the flu, some foreign viruses also can infect and kill livestock, birds and other animals, expanding the
economic toll and making control even more difficult.
For now, chikungunya is well established in Caribbean and northern South American nations along with four
locally transmitted cases of the virus in Florida. There are about 600 more cases in the United States involving
travelers to this country. The CDC reports 14 cases in Pennsylvania, 16 in Ohio and 13 in Maryland, all
involving travelers from elsewhere.
The Pan American Health Organization reported Aug. 1 that 31 countries and territories in the Americas have
had locally transmitted cases of chikungunya [CHIK-en-GUN-ye]. There have been a total of 508,122 suspected
cases reported and more than 5,100 confirmed as being locally transmitted and a total of 32 deaths from the
virus in the Americas. Because chikungunya is new to the Western Hemisphere, most people are not immune.
This means it can be more easily spread with the help of other types of mosquitoes.
The most common symptoms of chikungunya virus infection are fever and joint pain, the CDC states, along
with headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rash. The joint pain can continue indefinitely and even become
chronic.
“With the recent outbreaks in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the number of chikungunya cases among travelers
visiting or returning to the United States from affected areas will continue to increase,” the CDC states. “These
imported cases could result in local spread of the virus in the continental United States.” The mosquitoes that
transmit chikungunya are found throughout much of the Americas, but limited in this country mostly to
Southern states.
Dr. Hartman has been working on the Rift Valley fever in a biocontainment unit at Pitt where she wears
protective clothing resembling a moon suit to prevent contracting the virus and potentially spreading the
disease.
The Rift Valley fever was first discovered in Kenya more than a century ago and spread by mosquitoes mostly
through livestock. It continues to be of concern throughout Africa and into the Middle East, but the CDC says
the virus, should it arrive in the United States, could infect livestock and have a major economic impact on
agriculture.
MERS has been concentrated in Saudi Arabia with two travelers to the United States confirmed to have the
severe viral respiratory infection that causes death in 30 percent of the patients. Symptoms include fever, cough
and shortness of breath. The virus is spread through close contact with no evidence “of it spreading in
community settings,” the CDC states.
The West Nile Virus provides an example of the impact when a virus arrives from overseas. First discovered in
the United States in the late 1990s, it peaked in 2002 and 2003 with the CDC documenting 13,088 total cases
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between 1999 and 2012 and 1,549 deaths. The CDC and health agencies continue tracking infections every
summer.
But there’s good news on the prevention and treatment front. Ms. Hartman, who holds a Ph.D. in virology, has
been working with MediVector Inc. on development and testing of the drug favipiravir as a flu treatment that
also has potential to treat such viruses as Ebola, Marburg, West Nile, Rift Valley, yellow fever, dengue and
even hepatitis C. Her research included developing animal models on which to test the drug.
Favipiravir “is a novel anti-viral compound that works against different viral enzyme targets than either of the
approved antiviral agents used to treat people who have become ill with influenza,” the MediVector website
states, adding that scientists around the world “have tested favipiravir and found that it is effective against a
wide variety of RNA viruses, in infected cells, infected animals, and both.”
In the meantime, other researchers are working quickly to develop other methods to prevent or treat such
infections with a focus on Ebola.
Ronald N. Harty, PhD, associate professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of
Veterinary Medicine, is leading research to block certain RNA viruses from successfully completing replication
and “budding,” which is the viral process of leaving the cell by expanding through the cell membrane much the
way a bubble is created from a wand.
“We’re focused primarily on Ebola but also related RNA viruses,” said Dr. Harty. He is co-founder of the
company, Intervir, which will use the research to develop antiviral medications based on research that targets
proteins and protein strands necessary for virus replication. “I’m very excited with good, promising data and
tested inhibitors against live viruses in the lab. We’ve tested it against live Ebola and Marburg viruses that
actually block budding.”
Ayan Chakrabarti, is a 2009 IDM MS graduate from Dr. Phalguni Gupta’s lab under Dr. Yue Chen’s mentorship.
His thesis was on the detection of HIV-1 RNA/DNA and CD4 MRNA in feces and urine samples of the
Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) volunteers. During his MS training, Ayan feels that he received
tremendous guidance and support from his mentors Drs. Gupta and Chen along with his committee members
Drs. Charles Rinaldo and Sharon Riddler. In addition, student life in IDM-GSPH prepared him academically and
as a person to pursue his career in public health research at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). Ayan is presently working as a Biologist in the Viral Special Pathogens Branch's (VSPB). VSPB charter is
the study of highly infectious viruses, many of which cause hemorrhagic manifestations in humans. His daily
work involves the investigation of viruses of Ebolavirus, Marburgvirus, Lassa fever virus, Rift Valley fever virus,
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, other
Arenavirus and Hantavirus species, and
additional recently identified and emerging
viral species. Almost all of these viruses are
classified as Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4)
pathogens and as such must be handled in
special facilities designed to contain them
safely. VSPB operates one of the world's few
BSL-4 laboratories. In addition, VSPB provides
technical and research/ diagnostic materials to
many international laboratories and
collaborators. VSBP staff members are trained
to respond to global disease outbreaks and
provide assistance for disease detection and
control measures.
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Ayan has coauthored 6 peer reviewed publications. He also received the Recipient of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID)
National fellowship from the American Public Health Laboratories (APHL) in 2009. He was also a winner on the
Excellence in Laboratory Research Award in 2011 from the National Center for Emerging & Zoonotic Infectious Diseases,
CDC for successfully developing systems that generate and use genetically engineered Junin, Lassa, Lujo, Rift Valley
fever, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever Viruses.
Ayan is married to Payel, a former UPCI staff member and currently a Lead Research Specialist in Emory University in
Atlanta. Ayan and Patel have a gorgeous 2½ year old boy, Akash. The Chakrabarti family loves to travel around the
world and spends good social time with family and friends in Atlanta. They are still active participants of the University
of Pittsburgh Alumni Association.
IDM alumni attended the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Preparedness Summit in early April.
Left-right: Olivia Houck, IDM MPH ’13 grad;
Suzy Redington (formerly Hecker), IDM MPH ’08 grad;
Jamie Sokol, BCHS MPH ’07 grad;
Maura Barrett, IDM MPH ’13 grad.
Sara Miller, 2010 IDM MPH graduate, recently
graduated from Loyola Medical School
(pictured with her husband).
On August 14, 2014 Robert J. Melder, ScD, 1985 IDM Alumnus, was honored by induction into the
Bakken Society. The Bakken Society is an honorary society that recognizes employees of Medtronic,
Inc. for their outstanding contributions to Medtronic’s technical or scientific progress. Membership in
the Bakken Society is Medtronic’s highest honor for technical contributions. The Society is named
after Earl E. Bakken, Founder and Director Emeritus of Medtronic and charter member of the Society.
Medtronic, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, is the global leader in medical
technology, redefining how technology is used in the management of chronic disease. Medtronic
offers unique insight into a range of therapeutic areas, including heart disease, diabetes, neurological
disorders, spinal conditions and vascular diseases. This breadth of offerings, combined with their
years of experience, allows them to deliver therapies that are transforming the treatment of chronic
disease and changing the lives of more than 7 million patients worldwide each year.
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On Saturday, March 22, 2014, IDM hosted its first Career Day, and it was a great success! The event was
developed in response to the student demand for more career resources specific to IDM students.
Featuring presentations from an NIH workforce specialist, Pitt Public Health Career Services, and IDM
alumni, the event strived to help students identify their career options within government, industry, and
academia. Students enjoyed getting an inside look into how the NIH branches select candidates for a variety
of government positions and talking with IDM alumni about their career trajectories after graduating. As
one student said, “All of the alumni and presenters had a wealth of knowledge and insight to help us
succeed in finding a job, and the variety of alumni was useful to get an idea of what is out there.”
IDM hopes that alumni participation will grow in the coming years, so if you’re interested in participating in
such an event, please contact Meredith Mavero at [email protected].
William Pewen, PhD, MPH
Associate Dean of Research, College of Health Professions
Director, Graduate Program in Public Health
Assistant Professor, Public Health and Family Medicine Marshall University
Dr. Pewen has had a long and distinguished career since he graduated from
IDM in 2003 with his PhD. He was the Senior Health Policy Advisor for
Senator Olympia Snowe for four years where he worked on major enacted
legislation such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and Genetic Information Non
Discrimination Act among others. Currently, Dr. Pewen has three academic
appointments at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. He’s the
Associate Dean of Research in the College of Health Professions, the
Director of Graduate Program in Public Health, and Assistant Professor of
Public Health and Family Medicine.
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Monica Jo Tomaszewski, PhD
Research Scientist
ThermoFisher Scientific
Dr. Tomaszewski has had nearly 6 years of research excellence in both industry and academe. During her
PhD program at IDM, she traveled to Germany to train for BAC construction and virus production in the lab
of Dr. Wolfgang Hammerschmidt. After graduating, she assumed a post-doctoral position with our very own
Dr. Rinaldo and Dr. Jenkins for one year. After that, she went to ThermoFisher Scientific to be their R&D
Scientist in High Content Analysis. In 2011, she pursued further higher education to complete an MS in
Engineering Management. She has been at ThermoFisher for 4 years now, and currently supports biology
and engineering efforts and assay development for High Content Analysis.
Robin Monteverde Ceschin, MS
Account Representative, ThermoFisher Scientific
Robin has had great experience in the lab as well as in sales. As
she was completing her degree, she worked full time as Dr.
Joseph Martens Lab Manager in Biological Sciences. Upon
graduation, she started working for ThermoFisher Scientific as
a Sales Account Representative where she manages 500+
accounts across the United States.
Anna Mamo, MS
Business Development Analyst, Idea Foundry
Anna has had an interesting career journey since she graduated from
IDM in May 2010. She has had extensive experience in the lab as
well as on the business side of science. She is currently working at
the Idea Foundry as a Business Development Analyst while
pursuing her MBA at Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business. At
Idea Foundry, she manages a team of analysts to conduct market
research and commercialization analysis to assess the viability of
early-stage biotechnologies. Before Idea Foundry, Anna worked as
an Immunology Research Technician within Pitt’s School of
Medicine.
13
Mary Sue Miranda, MS HYG
Acting Director, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear &
Explosives (CBRNE) Directorate/Chief, Laboratory Division,
Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), Department of Defense
[email protected]
Since Mary Sue’s graduation from IDM in 1980, she has been
employed in hospital and pharmaceutical laboratories, and is
currently working within a force protection agency within the
DOD. As Acting Director, Mary Sue oversees a Directorate
within a force protection agency within the Dept. of Defense. The
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives
(CBRNE) Directorate contains a HAZMAT response team, a
biological laboratory that tests for biothreat agents, a mail screening program, a bomb squad and a
division that provides protective sensor monitoring for the Pentagon facility and its 23,000 occupants.
PFPA’s mission is to protect those that protect our nation and the CBRNE Directorate focuses on
CBRNE threats and weapons of mass destruction. They perform active and passive monitoring and
surveillance for threats on the Pentagon reservation, offering a tiered approach to detection of a threat
agent. Their HAZMAT team are first responders that provide field analysis for threat agents. They
provide sample collection for the laboratory which performs molecular and immunological assays for
biological threat agents from environmental samples. The laboratory participates in a strong quality
assurance and interagency proficiency testing program to ensure our results are defensible. The
laboratory is ISO 17025 accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation. Within
the Laboratory Division, they closely interact with the Department of Homeland Security and its
national BioWatch program. Within this partnership, strong focus is placed on notification protocols
with local, state and federal stakeholders in preparation for responding to a biological threat agent
release.
Christina Ascension Farmartino, MPH, CPH
Executive Director, The Open Door, Inc.
[email protected]
Christina has been involved in public health practice since 2009,
when she conducted independent research on non-governmental
organizations serving individuals living with HIV in Fortaleza,
Ceará, Brazil. Christina specializes in infectious disease research
and prevention, and is currently the Executive Director of The
Open Door, Inc., a local nonprofit that is dedicated to serving
chronically homeless, high-risk individuals living with HIV.
Christina is responsible for administrative oversight of The Open
Door, Inc.’s housing program and other related services. Her
responsibilities include, financial oversight and analysis, grant writing, strategic planning,
fundraising, staff supervision, and program evaluation and implementation. Christina is active with
other local community organizations including as Prevention Point Pittsburgh, a harm reduction
needle exchange program, and most recently, The Perry Hilltop Citizens Council.
14
Tran Doan, MPH
Community Outreach Associate
Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti (HAS)
Tran Doan is the Community Outreach Associate at Hôpital Albert
Schweitzer Haiti (HAS), responsible for HAS outreach to
community and school groups, and for assisting with speaker
placement and marketing communications in support of HAS
development efforts.
Tran comes to HAS from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate
School of Public Health, where she recently earned a Master of
Public Health degree with a concentration in management,
intervention, and community practice. While at Pitt, Tran was
active in student government, with responsibility for the planning
and management of educational and community events for the university’s 10,000 graduate and
professional students.
In 2012, Tran served as the Pedro Zamora Public Policy Fellow at AIDS United, in Washington, DC,
and subsequently helped develop training materials, including online presentations and training
toolkits, for this non-profit organization.
Tran is a 2010 graduate of the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, where she earned a
Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. While at the University of Richmond, she won a $10,000
Davis Projects for Peace grant to develop and lead a human rights project in Thailand.
Baby News . . .
Nabanita Biswas, PhD, 2011 IDM Graduate, and her husband, Anirban,
welcomed their baby daughter, Aunwita Taya Jana on May 29, 2014.
Congratulations to the Biswas & Jana family.
15
Award Categories and 2014 Winners
IDM Departmental Awards
Master’s Category:
Ms. Fortuna Arumemi, MS Program
“Characterization of a Novel Host Cellular Factor in HIV-1
Neuropathogenesis”
Advisor: Dr. Velpandi Ayyavoo
Ms. Melissa Morris, MPH Program
“Adapting a Self-Assessment Tool to Identify Public Health Workforce
Training Needs: A Competency Based Approach”
Advisor: Dr. Tony Silvestre
Doctoral Category:
Ms. Diana Campbell, PhD Program
“Differentiation of Human Herpesvirus-8 Infected, In Vitro Derived B
Lymphocytes and their Role in Endothelial Cell Infection”
Advisor: Dr. Charles Rinaldo
School-wide Awards
Masters First Prize:
Ms. Glory Ojiere, MPH Program
“Using RealOpt® to Determine Staffing Capabilities during an
Infectious Disease Emergency”
Advisor: Dr. Anil Ojha
Delta Omega Award:
For the best poster, as judged by the Omicron chapter of Delta Omega,
with the opportunity to compete nationally for a chance to present the
poster at the APHA annual meeting.
Ms. Yanille Scott, PhD Program
“The Potential of Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies to
Function as Topical Microbicides”
Advisor: Dr. Charlene Dezzutti
16
Jana Jacobs, Awarded PhD, April 9, 2014
Dissertation Title: “Characterization of the Roles of Two Regulators of
Virus Infection: Gp78 and BPIFB3”
Advisor: Dr. Carolyn Coyne
Adrienne Long, Awarded MPH, April 10, 2014
Thesis Title: “HIV/AIDS Prevention Knowledge and
Behaviors of Rural Women Who are Recipients of a
Community Health Worker HIV/AIDS Program in Nampula
Province, Mozambique”
Advisor: Dr. Linda Frank
Jessi Bond, Awarded MPH, April 14, 2014
Thesis Title: “A Three Year Review of CatheterAssociated Urinary Tract Infections Reported to the
National Healthcare Safety Network at a Tertiary Care
Hospital”
Advisor: Dr. Jeremy Martinson
Helen McGuirk, Awarded MPH, April 14, 2014
Thesis Title: “An Evaluation of Current Diagnostic Methods for Tuberculosis in Resource-Poor Areas
and a Proposal for a More Sensitive Test”
Advisor: Dr. Phalguni Gupta
17
Natalie Suder, Awarded MPH, April 15, 2014
Thesis Title: “Role of Viral Coinfections in NonHodgkin’s Lymphoma Development in HIV-1 Positive
MACS Seroconverters”
Advisor: Dr. Charles Rinaldo
Nicole Phillips, Awarded MS, April 17, 2014
Thesis Title: “Comprehensive Analysis of HEK293
Cells Reveals a Lec-Like Phenotype”
Advisor: Dr. Todd Reinhart
Natalie pictured with Dr. Don Burke, Dean of GSPH
and Dr. Charles Rinaldo
Aiymkul Ashimkhanova, Awarded MS, April 21, 2014
Thesis Title: “The Role of Humoral Immune Response in
Hepatitis C Infection”
Advisor: Dr. Yue Chen
Julianne Baron, Awarded PhD, May 30, 2014
Dissertation Title: “Reducing the Public Health
Impact of Infections Caused by Waterborne
Pathogens”
Advisor: Dr. Victor Yu
Dr. Victor Yu, Julianne Baron and Dr. Janet Stout
(PhD, 1992 IDM Alumnus)
18
Suha Abdelbaqi, Awarded MS, June 13, 2014
Thesis Title: “Novel Engineered Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides have a Broad-Spectrum Activity
Against: Francisella Tularensis, Burkholderia Pseudomallei and Yersinia Pestis”
Advisor: Dr. Doug Reed
Lisa Mathews, Awarded MS, June 17, 2014
Thesis Title: “Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine-Induced
Modulation of IL-33 and its Receptor During Pediatric
Allograft Rejection”
Advisor: Dr. Heth Turnquist
Sreya Tarafdar, Awarded PhD, June 19, 2014
Dissertation Title: “Interactions of the HIV-1 Nef Virulence Factor with Host Cell Tyrosine Kinases of
the SRC and TEC Families”
Advisor: Dr. Thomas Smithgall
Mary Hasek, Awarded MS, June 25, 2014
Thesis Title: “Characterization of Cholesterol Targeting
Antimicrobial Peptides and Assessment of Their
Antiviral Activity in vitro”
Advisor: Dr. Ron Montelaro
19
Nicholas Giacobbi, Awarded MS, June 26, 2014
Thesis Title: “Polyomavirus T Antigens Activate an Antiviral State”
Advisor: Dr. James Pipas
Jennifer Stock, Awarded MS, July 14, 2014
Thesis Title: “Factors Associated with the
Control of SIVsab Infection in Baboons (PAPIO
PAPIO)”
Advisor: Dr. Ivona Pandrea
Andrea Dobbs, Awarded MS, July 17, 2014
Thesis Title: “Towards Understanding
Plasmablast Development in Dengue Virus
Infection”
Advisor: Dr. Simon Barratt-Boyes
20
Jaideep Karamchandani, Awarded MS, August 4, 2014
Thesis Title: “The Evaluation of Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in
Tobago”
Advisor: Dr. Frank Jenkins
Jessica Battaglia, Awarded MS, August 6, 2014
Thesis Title: “Comparison of Viral Titers and Cytokine Profiles Between Males and Females at Risk of
Kaposi’s Sarcoma Development”
Advisor: Dr. Frank Jenkins
Rebecca Marino, Awarded PhD, August 15, 2014
Dissertation Title: “Structural Genetic Variation and
Dyslipidemia Among Men Enrolled in the Multicenter
AIDS Cohort Study”
Advisor: Dr. Jeremy Martinson
21
Three New Predoctoral Students have been
Awarded a Fellowship from the
Pitt AIDS Research Training (PART) Program
Todd Reinhart, ScD is leading a group of Pitt faculty engaged in AIDS research who received a 1.1 million
dollar T32 training grant from the NIH for five years. This grant is now in its tenth year (the fifth year of a five
year renewal). This year the grant will train two new predoctoral researchers, and three have been reappointed
for an additional year in the study of HIV/AIDS to begin August 1, 2014. The PART Program is based on
concepts of interdisciplinary courses and collaborative basic research that provide the foundation for
understanding HIV/AIDS and controlling the epidemic.
Congratulations to this year’s trainees:
Appointed Fellowship 2014/2015
Diana Campbell
Mentor: Charles Rinaldo, PhD
Research: “Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection in Differentiation, Transformation and Function of B
Lymphocytes”
Douglas Fischer
Mentor: Zandrea Ambrose, PhD
Research: “Characterizing the Uncoating of HIV-1 Capsid and its Disruption”
Jan Kristoff
Mentor: Ivona Pandrea, MD, PhD
Research: “Role of Microbial Translocation in SIV Pathogenesis”
Reappointed 2nd yr. Fellowship
Kevin Melody
Mentor: Zandrea Ambrose, PhD
Research: “In Vitro and In Vivo Drug Efficacy and Resistance of Rilpivirine Long-Acting Formulation”
Zachary Swan
Mentor: Simon Barratt-Boyes, BVSc, PhD
Research: “Delineating the Role of Mononuclear Phagocytes in SIV Disease Control and Progression”
22
National & International
Oral & Poster Presentations
Ambrose Z. Confocal and super resolution imaging of HIV-1 uncoating
and nuclear entry. Oral presentation at Structural Biology Related to
HIV/AIDS Meeting. Bethesda, MD, June 19-20, 2014.
Berendam SJ, Ambrose Z, Kline CJ, Murphey-Corb MA, Reinhart TA.
Potential Roles for Primary Rhesus Macaque Lymphatic Endothelial Cells (LECs) in Host Innate Immune
Responses to SIV and Other Pathogens. Keystone Symposium on HIV Pathogenesis. Banff, Alberta, Canada,
March 9-14, 2014.
Bouwer AL, Smith AP, Swan ZD, Barratt-Boyes SM. Contribution of DC and monocytes/macrophages to
disease control and progression in SIV-infected Mamu-B008+ rhesus macaques. The American Association of
Immunologists Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh, PA, May 2-6, 2014.
Deslouches B, Steckbeck J, Doi Y, Burns J, Craigo J, Montelaro R. Rationally engineered cationic antibiotic
peptides improve bacterial resistance properties compared to colistin and LL37. Interscience Conference on
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC). Washington, DC, 2014.
Dobbs A, Nascimento E, Garcia-Bates T, Smith AP, Barratt-Boyes SM. Towards understanding the expansion of
plasmablasts in dengue virus infections. The American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting.
Pittsburgh, PA, May 2-6, 2014.
Duangkhae P, Smith AP, Marques ETA, Ryman KD, Barratt-Boyes SM. Defining targets of dengue virus
infection in human skin. The American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh, PA, May 2-6,
2014.
Feliz N, Brookins M, Krier S, Adams B, Wallace SE, Friedman MR. Project Silk: Findings from a Demonstration
Project for young MSM and Transgender Youth of Color. National African American MSM Leadership
Conference on HIV/AIDS and other Health Disparities. Orlando, 2014. Oral presentation.
Ferrari R, Parker LS, Grubs RE, Martinson JJ, Krishnamurti L. Assessment of student-athletes' attitudes toward
the NCAA sickle cell trait screening program. Poster presented at: 8th Annual Sickle Cell Disease Research and
Educational Symposium and 37th National Sickle Cell Disease Scientific Meeting. Miami, FL, Apr 11–14, 2014.
Friedman MR, Krier S, Feliz N, Adams B, Brookins M, Kinsky S, Silvestre AJ. Is Silk open tonight?: Lessons
learned from Project Silk, an HIV prevention demonstration project for young African American MSM and
transgender people. American Public Health Association Conference, New Orleans, 2014. Oral presentation.
Haran P, Rakasz E, Kaushik K, Folkvord J, McIvor RS, Reinhart TA, Connick E, Skinner PJ. Transduction of
Primary Rhesus Macaque CD8 T Cells with the B Cell Homing Molecule CXCR5. Keystone Symposium on HIV
Pathogenesis. Banff, Alberta, Canada, March 9-14, 2014.
Hartman AL, Caroline AL, Bethel LM, Powell DS, Oury TD, Reed DS. Dysregulated host inflammatory response
in rats with fatal encephalitic Rift Valley Fever. AAI Annual Meeting: Immunology 2014. Pgh, PA. May 2014.
Hartman AL, Powell DS, Bethel LM, Caroline AL, Oury TD, Lenk RP, Reed DS. Broad spectrum antiviral activity
of Favipiravir (T-705): Protection from highly lethal inhalational Rift Valley Fever. ASM Biodefense and
Emerging Disease Research Meeting. Washington, DC, February 2014.
23
Jin H, Friedman MR, Lim SH, Guadamuz TE, Wei C. Suboptimal HIV testing prevalence among high-risk male
sex workers in Asia. International AIDS Conference. Melbourne, Australia, 2014. Poster presentation.
Macatangay B, Chen Y, Bullota A, Yates A, Fialkovich E, Borowski L, Buchanan W, Gupta P, Rinaldo CR.
Herpesvirus Infections in HIV+ Individuals on ART Are Not Associated with Immune Activation. Presented at:
21st Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. Boston, MA, March 3-6, 2014.
Mailliard R, Zaccard CR, Poston TB, Smith KN, Rappacciolo G, Watkins S, Rinaldo CR. HIV-1 exploitation of
coordinated helper activities from CD8+ and CD4+ T cells promotes viral persistence and dissemination.
Keystone Symposium on HIV Pathogenesis. Banff, Alberta, Canada, March 9-14, 2014.
Mayer, K., et al., Seasons of risk: Anticipated behavior on vacation, and interest in episodic antiretroviral preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), among a large national sample of American men who have sex with men (MSM).
International AIDS Conference. Melbourne, Australia, July 20-26, 2014.
Melody K, Kline C, Kashuba A, Mellors JW, Ambrose Z. Selection of drug resistance mutations in a reverse
transcriptase simian-human immunodeficiency virus macaque model using long-activing rilpivirine. 2014
International Workshop on Antiviral Drug Resistance: Meeting the Global Challenge. Berlin, Germany, June 3–
7, 2014.
Puskar K, Mitchell A, Albrecht S, Kane I, Frank L, Hagle H, Lindsay D, Lee H, Fioravanti M, Talcott K. Screening
for substance use in rural populations: Addressing a global problem with an innovative nursing education
approach using technology and interprofessional teams. Durham, NC, March 2014.
Puskar K, Mitchell A, Albrecht S, Kane I, Frank L, Hagle H, Lindsay D, Lee H, Fioravanti M, Talcott K. A universal
strategy for optimizing health by utilizing interprofessional screening, brief intervention, and referral to
treatment knowledge, skills, and attitudes to address substances use in all patients. Washington, DC, 2014.
Puskar K, Mitchell A, Albrecht S, Kane I, Frank L, Hagle H, Lindsay D, Lee H, Fioravanti M, Talcott K, Donovan M.
Teams and technology: Targeting substance use in rural populations using interprofessional collaborative
practice. Pittsburgh, PA, 2014.
Reed DS, Powell DS, Bethel LM, Caroline AL, Bales JM, Oury TD, Hartman AL. Fatal encephalitis in rats and
nonhuman primates after inhalational exposure to Rift Valley Fever virus. ASTMH Annual Meeting.
Washington, DC, November 2013.
Sanyal A, Shen C, Ratner D, Ding M, Gupta, P. An approach to unravel cellular mechanisms responsible for
enhanced STI induced HIV acquisition. Keystone Meeting on Immune Activation in HIV Infection: Basic
Mechanisms and Clinical Implications. Banff, Calgary, Canada, April, 2014.
Sankapal S, Gupta P, Ratner D, Caruso L, Ding M, Coyne C, Chen Y. Cellular and environmental factors
involved in HIV transmission. Keystone Meeting on Immune Activation in HIV Infection: Basic Mechanisms and
Clinical Implications. Banff, Calgary, Canada, April, 2014.
Swan ZD, Barratt-Boyes SM. Towards delineating the role of dendritic cell and macrophages in SIV disease
control and progression. The American Association of Immunologists Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh, PA; May 2-6,
2014.
Wallace C, Xu H, Kline C, Gibson G, Zhong Z, Watkins S, Ambrose Z. Visualizing HIV-1 uncoating and nuclear
entry by confocal and super resolution. Oral presentation at the Retroviruses Meeting. Cold Spring Harbor,
NY, May 19-24, 2014.
24
Wonderlich ER, Barratt-Boyes SM. Diminished IL-12 production mediates impaired T-cell stimulating capacity
of lymph node dendritic cells and macrophages in SIV infection. The American Association of Immunologists
Annual Meeting. Pittsburgh, PA, May 2-6, 2014.
Recently Published Articles
From the Department of IDM
Bashirova AA, Martin-Gayo E, Jones DC, Qi Y, Apps R, Gao X, Burke
PS, Taylor CJ, Rogich J, Wolinsky S, Bream JH, Duggal P, Hussain S,
Martinson J, Weintrob A, Kirk GD, Fellay J, Buchbinder SP, Goedert
JJ, Deeks SG, Pereyra F, Trowsdale J, Lichterfeld M, Telenti A,
Walker BD, Allen RL, Carrington M, Yu XG. LILRB2 Interaction with HLA Class I
Correlates with Control of HIV-1 Infection. PLoS Genet. 10:e1004196, 2014.
Boltz VF, Bao Y, Lockman S, Halvas EK, Kearney MF, McIntyre JA, Schooley RT, Hughes MD, Coffin JM, Mellors
JW; OCTANE/A5208 Team. Low-frequency nevirapine (NVP)-resistant HIV-1 variants are not associated with
failure of antiretroviral therapy in women without prior exposure to single-dose NVP. J Infect Dis. 209:703710, 2014.
Caroline AL, Powell DS, Bethel LM, Oury TD, Reed DS, Hartman AL. Broad spectrum antiviral activity of
favipiravir (T-705): protection from highly lethal inhalational rift valley Fever. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 8:e2790,
2014.
Cillo AR, Sobolewski MD, Bosch RJ, Fyne E, Piatak M Jr, Coffin JM, Mellors JW. Quantification of HIV-1 latency
reversal in resting CD4+ T cells from patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
2014.
Cillo AR, Krishnan S, McMahon DK, Mitsuyasu RT, Para MF, Mellors JW. Impact of Chemotherapy for HIV-1
Related Lymphoma on Residual Viremia and Cellular HIV-1 DNA in Patients on Suppressive Antiretroviral
Therapy. PLoS One. 9:e92118, 2014.
Craigo JK, Montelaro RC. Lessons in AIDS vaccine development learned from studies of equine infectious,
anemia virus infection and immunity. Viruses. 5:2963-2976, 2014.
Douradinha B, McBurney SP, Soares de Melo KM, Smith AP, Krishna NK, Barratt-Boyes SM, Evans JD,
Nascimento EJ, Marques ET Jr. C1q binding to dengue virus decreases levels of infection and inflammatory
molecules transcription in THP-1 cells. Virus Res. 179:231-234, 2014.
Doyon G, Sobolewski MD, Huber K, McMahon D, Mellors JW, Sluis-Cremer N. Discovery of a small molecule
agonist of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p110α that reactivates latent HIV-1. PLoS One. 9:e84964, 2014.
Friedman MR, Stall R, Silvestre AJ, Mustanski B, Shoptaw S, Surkan PJ, Rinaldo CR, Plankey MW.
Stuck in the middle: longitudinal HIV-related health disparities among men who have sex with men and
women (MSMW). J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2014.
Friedman MR, Wei C, Klem ML, Silvestre AJ, Markovic N, Stall R. HIV infection and sexual risk among men
who have sex with men and women (MSMW): a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 9:e87139,
2014.
25
Gopal R, Rangel-Moreno J, Fallert Junecko BA, Mallon DJ, Chen K, Pociask DA, Connell TD, Reinhart TA, Alcorn
JF, Ross TM, Kolls JK, Khader SA. Mucosal pre-exposure to Th17-inducing adjuvants exacerbates pathology
after influenza infection. Am J Pathol. 184:55-63, 2014.
Hadi K, Walker LA, Guha D, Murali R, Watkins SC, Tarwater P, Srinivasan A, Ayyavoo V. Human
immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr polymorphisms associated with progressor and nonprogressor individuals
alter Vpr-associated functions. J Gen Virol. 95:700-711, 2014.
Hartman AL, Powell DS, Bethel LM, Caroline AL, Schmid RJ, Oury T, Reed DS. Aerosolized rift valley fever virus
causes fatal encephalitis in african green monkeys and common marmosets. J Virol. 88:2235-2245, 2014.
Kearney MF, Spindler J, Shao W, Yu S, Anderson EM, O'Shea A, Rehm C, Poethke C, Kovacs N, Mellors JW,
Coffin JM, Maldarelli F. Lack of Detectable HIV-1 Molecular Evolution during Suppressive Antiretroviral
Therapy. PLoS Pathog. 10:e1004010, 2014.
Ketlogetswe KS, Post WS, Li X, Palella FJ Jr, Jacobson LP, Margolick JB, Kingsley LA, Witt MD, Dobs AS, Budoff
MJ, Brown TT. Lower adiponectin is associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease among HIV-infected
men. AIDS. 28:901-909, 2014.
Kline C, Ndjomou J, Franks T, Kiser R, Coalter V, Smedley J, Piatak M Jr, Mellors JW, Lifson JD, Ambrose Z.
Persistence of viral reservoirs in multiple tissues after antiretroviral therapy suppression in a macaque RT-SHIV
model. PLoS One. 8:e84275, 2013.
Kuhlmann AS, Steckbeck JD, Sturgeon TJ, Craigo JK, Montelaro RC. Unique Functional Properties of Conserved
Arginine Residues in the Lentivirus Lytic Peptide Domains of the C-terminal Tail of HIV-1 gp41. J Biol Chem.
289:7630-7640, 2014.
Margolick JB, Jacobson LP, Schwartz GJ, Abraham AG, Darilay AT, Kingsley LA, Witt MD, Palella FJ Jr. Factors
affecting glomerular filtration rate, as measured by iohexol disappearance, in men with or at risk for HIV
infection. PLoS One. 9:e86311, 2014.
McKinnon JE, Mailliard RB, Swindells S, Wilkin TJ, Borowski L, Roper JM, Bastow B, Kearney M, Wiegand A,
Mellors JW, Rinaldo CR. A5201 study team. Baseline Natural Killer and T Cell Populations Correlation with
Virologic Outcome after Regimen Simplification to Atazanavir/Ritonavir Alone (ACTG 5201). PLoS One. 2014
9:e95524.
Melhem NM, Smith KN, Huang XL, Colleton BA, Jiang W, Mailliard RB, Mullins JI, Rinaldo CR. The impact of
viral evolution and frequency of variant epitopes on primary and memory human immunodeficiency virus type
1-specific CD8⁺ T cell responses. Virology. 450-451:34-48, 2014.
Monroe AK, Dobs AS, Palella FJ, Kingsley LA, Witt MD, Brown TT. Morning free and total testosterone in HIVinfected men: implications for the assessment of hypogonadism. AIDS Res Ther. 11:6, 2014.
Ng DK, Jacobson LP, Brown TT, Palella FJ Jr, Martinson JJ, Bolan R, Miller ER 3rd, Schwartz GJ, Abraham AG,
Estrella MM. HIV therapy, metabolic and cardiovascular health are associated with glomerular hyperfiltration
among men with and without HIV infection. AIDS. 28:377-386, 2014.
Ohmit SE, Thompson MG, Petrie JG, Thaker SN, Jackson ML, Belongia EA, Zimmerman RK, Gaglani M, Lamerato
L, Spencer SM, Jackson L, Meece JK, Nowalk MP, Song J, Zervos M, Cheng PY, Rinaldo CR, Clipper L, Shay DK,
Piedra P, Monto AS. Influenza vaccine effectiveness in the 2011-2012 season: protection against each
circulating virus and the effect of prior vaccination on estimates. Clin. Infect. Dis. 58:319-327, 2014.
Paranjape SM, Lauer TW, Montelaro RC, Mietzner TA, Vij N. Modulation of proinflammatory activity by the
engineered cationic antimicrobial peptide WLBU-2. F1000Res. 2:36, 2013.
26
Powell DS, Walker RC, Heflin DT, Fisher D, Kosky JB, Homer LC, Reed DS, Stefano-Cole K, Trichel AM, Hartman
AL. Development of novel mechanisms for housing, handling, and remote monitoring of common marmosets
at animal biosafety level 3. Pathog Dis. 2014.
Price JC, Seaberg EC, Latanich R, Budoff MJ, Kingsley LA, Palella FJ Jr, Witt MD, Post WS, Thio CL. Risk Factors
for Fatty Liver in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Am J Gastroenterol, 2014.
Rappocciolo G, Jais M, Piazza P, Berendam SJ, Reinhart TA, Gupta P, Rinaldo C. Alterations in cholesterol
metabolism restrict trans infection in HIV-1 controllers. mBIO 5: e01031-13, 2014.
Reed DS, Bethel LM, Powell DS, Caroline AL, Hartman AL. Differences in aerosolization of Rift Valley fever
virus resulting from choice of inhalation exposure chamber: implications for animal challenge studies. Pathog
Dis. 2014.
Santos JJ, Cordeiro MT, Bertani GR, Marques ET, Gil LH. Construction and characterisation of a complete
reverse genetics system of dengue virus type 3. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 108:983-991, 2013.
Seaberg EC, Witt MD, Jacobson LP, Detels R, Rinaldo CR, Young S, Phair JP, Thio CI. Differences in hepatitis C
virus prevalence and clearance by mode of acquisition among men who have sex with men. J. Viral Hepatitis,
published online 7 Nov 2013.
Shen C, Gupta P, Xu X, Sanyal A, Rinaldo C, Seaberg E, Margolick JB, Martinez-Maza O, Chen Y. Transmission
and evolution of hepatitis C virus in HCV seroconverters in HIV infected subjects. Virology 449:339-349, 2014.
Steckbeck JD, Kuhlmann AS, Montelaro RC. Structural and functional comparisons of retroviral envelope
protein C-terminal domains: still much to learn. Viruses. 6:284-300, 2014.
Steckbeck JD, Deslouches B, Montelaro RC. Antimicrobial peptides: new drugs for bad bugs? Expert Opin Biol
Ther. 14:11-14, 2014.
Tarafdar S, Poe JA, Smithgall TE. The accessory factor Nef links HIV-1 to Tec/Btk kinases in an Src homology 3
domain-dependent manner. J Biol Chem 289:15718-15728, 2014.
Yang Y, Kulka K, Montelaro RC, Reinhart TA, Sissons J, Aderem A, Ojha AK.A hydrolase of trehalose
dimycolate induces nutrient influx and stress sensitivity to balance intracellular growth of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis. Cell Host Microbe. 15:153-163, 2014.
Visit the IDM website at:
http://www.publichealth.pitt.edu/infectious-diseases-and-microbiology
27
Editor:
Charles Rinaldo, Jr., Ph.D.
Contributing Writer:
Joseph Pawlak, M.P.A.
Production Manager:
Judy Malenka
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Infectious Diseases
& Microbiology
A419D Crabtree Hall
Graduate School of Public Health
130 DeSoto Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261 USA
Phone: 412-624-1637
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