SNPRC plays a critical role in studying select agents and emerging pathogens thanks to our expertise in primates and maximum biocontainment. Our Infectious Diseases Immunology & Control Unit includes an extensive research portfolio on AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis, emerging viral and microbial diseases and biodefense threats, vaccine development and immunology.

infectious-diseasesWe facilitate and advise collaborative investigators, affiliate scientists and outside scientists to develop and implement nonhuman primate (NHP) studies that involve infectious diseases. We also provide expertise in primate models of infectious disease including immunological and molecular tools, reagents and technologies required for characterizing infectious diseases and its associated comorbidities in nonhuman primates.

Our work enhances nonhuman primate model use in infectious diseases through characterizing primate colonies and their use in various infectious disease models.

We also provide training for the next generation of investigators using nonhuman primates in infectious disease, including undergraduate volunteers, summer interns, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and young investigators.

Our research programs are dedicated to understanding basic molecular, immunological and pathogenic aspects of human and animal viruses, as well as the agents of specific bacterial diseases, such as tuberculosis and pertussis. We’re also working on a broad range of viral diseases including retroviruses (HIV/SIV), hepatitis viruses (HBV, HCV, GBV-B), arenaviruses (lassa fever virus), filoviruses (Ebola and Marburgh viruses), flaviviruses (Zika), Dengue virus and herpes viruses.

The Infectious Disease Unit works with the SNPRC Core Services to provide support for contract and internal scientific studies.

Core Scientists:

Personnel SNPRC Role
Larry Schlesinger, MD Principal Investigator
Mahesh Mohan, DVM PhD

 

IDIC Lead

Core Scientist

Deepak Kaushal, PhD Core Scientist
Marie-Claire Gauduin, PhD Marie-Claire Gauduin, PhD IDIC Co-Lead

Core Scientist

Binhua “Julie” Ling, MD PhD Core Scientist
Smriti Mehra, PhD Smriti Mehra, Ph.D. Core Scientist
Ricardo Carrion, PhD Affiliate Scientist
Dhiraj K. Singh, PhD Dhiraj K. Singh, Ph.D. Affiliate Scientist
Riti Sharan, PhD Riti Sharan, Ph.D. Affiliate Scientist
Xavier Alvarez Xavier Alvarez, PhD Core Scientist
Rajesh Thippeshappa Affiliate Scientist
Jean Patterson, PhD Affiliate Scientist
Susanta Pahari, PhD Susanta Pahari, Ph.D Affiliate Scientist
Vida Hodara, PhD Affiliate Scientist