For Members
John Anthony Vanchiere, M.D., Ph.D. ('15)
(Speaker Term: 7/1/13 - 6/30/15)
Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases
LSU Health Sciences Center – Shreveport
1501 Kings Highway, #5‐303
Shreveport, LA 71130
Phone: 318‐675‐6081
Fax: 318-675-6059
E-mail: jvanch@lsuhsc.edu
LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Emergence of Human Polyomavirus Disease among Immune Compromised Patients
With the growing use of immune-suppressive therapies for the treatment of neurologic, oncologic and autoimmune diseases, the human polyomaviruses have emerged as opportunistic pathogens in increasingly diverse patient populations, highlighting our lack of understanding of the immunologic pathways that control polyomaviruses in healthy individuals. This talk focuses on the growing number of polyomaviruses identified by molecular techniques and the importance of in vitro and animal models to direct the rational development of antiviral agents and clinical strategies for improving patient care.
Building the Infrastructure for Translational Research in Infectious Diseases
Infectious agents are a continual threat to human health, with the majority of new infectious threats being zoonotic agents that enter the human population unexpectedly. Louis Pasteur’s famous quotation, “chance favors only the prepared mind,” has never been more true than in the current climate of funding and competition for limited research resources. As such, the modern approach to a career in translational research requires an increasingly diverse set of skills, team members and collaborations to be successful. This talk focuses on scientific team-building aimed at the measured development of an “A-team” that can provide sustained productivity and nimble responsiveness to new threats that arise in the human population.
Human Papillomaviruses: The Impact of Vaccination on Human Disease
The unrelenting epidemic of sexually-transmitted infections represents one of the most common threats to the health of adolescents and young adults in America. Despite continued political controversy, the availability of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines represents an important public health success in America. While the full impact of HPV vaccination will not be realized for many years, significant short-term benefits are expected in the near future. Continued education regarding HPV disease and vaccination is necessary to improve HPV vaccination rates so that the maximum benefit can be attained for young men and women. This talk highlights the science behind HPV vaccines and the growing literature on the promiscuity of HPV in causing oncologic and non-oncologic disease in humans.
The Challenge and Necessity of Collaborations between Clinicians and Scientists
Advances in molecular biology continue to deepen our understanding of how pathogens interact with the human host, providing new targets for pathogen-directed and host-directed approaches to control infectious agents. In order to bring these prospects to fruition, the widening gap between clinical and laboratory sciences must be bridged in practical and creative ways. This talk presents a “Top Ten List” of ideas for bridging the gap in meaningful ways that can be implemented by laboratories, departments and institutions to foster synergistic collaborations between clinical and laboratory scientists.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – John Anthony Vanchiere, M.D., Ph.D.
A second-generation pediatrician, Dr. Vanchiere is a physician-scientist whose goal is to understand the host and viral factors that are necessary for control of persistent viruses in humans, especially the human polyomaviruses. His translational virology studies in humans and non-human primates and extensive clinical trial experience provide a rich background for his efforts to improve the care of immune compromised patients who are at highest risk for polyomavirus disease. Through grant funding and research contracts, Dr. Vanchiere has built a productive research team that utilizes in vitro and in vivo studies to provide the fertile soil for the realization of his vision.
CV is available by request from adempsey@asmusa.org at ASM Headquarters.
ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – John Anthony Vanchiere, M.D., Ph.D.
Primary Division: S (DNA Viruses)
John F. Stolz (’15)
(Speaker Term: 7/1/13 - 6/30/15)
Department of Biological Sciences
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA 15282
Phone: 412-396-6333
Fax: 412-396-5907
E-mail: Stolz@duq.edu
Speaker’s URL: http://www.scienceresearch.duq.edu/bio/biofac/jstolz/about/about.html
LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Life in the Frack Pit: The Microbiology of Unconventional Shale Gas Extraction
The extraction of natural gas from unconventional shale gas deposits has grown considerably in the last decade through the combination of horizontal drilling technology and hydraulic fracturing. The Marcellus Shale is a shale deposit formed from an inland sea 390 million years ago that is rich in organics, and the development of this gas play has provided water and increased surface area for microbial colonization in the formation. The condensate tanks and impoundments are also natural incubators for microbial activity. Molecular analyses coupled with enrichment culture have revealed that the produced water from the Marcellus shale has a unique microbiota dominated by halophilic species. This presentation will provide an overview of the processes involved in and the microbiology associated with unconventional gas extraction.
Microbial Transformation of Arsenic: New Twists for an Old Poison
Arsenic is notorious as a poison with acute doses causing death and chronic exposures resulting in a wide range of maladies. Nevertheless, there are many microorganisms that are not only resistant to arsenic's toxic properties, but may metabolize inorganic and organic forms. Some may even use it to generate energy. Over the past two decades, a robust biogeochemical cycle has been elucidated that involves arsenate reduction and arsenite oxidation, as well as methylation and demethylation. As(V) is a potent electron acceptor used by a phylogenetically diverse assortment of Bacteria and Archaea. As(III) has been shown to serve as an electron donor in photolithoautotrophy and chemolithoautotrophy. Distinct enzymes are involved in arsenic resistance (Ars) and methylation. Three different enzymes have been described for energy generation: arsenite oxidase Aox, respiratory arsenate reductase Arr, and Arx, an arsenic oxidoreductase that looks more like Arr but functions as an As(III) oxidase. This presentation will cover microbial arsenic metabolism and its implications for both the evolution of life on Earth, as well as other planetary systems.
Microbes, Minerals and Metals: A Microbial View of the Periodic Table
Microbial activity is responsible for the transformation of almost a third of the elements of the periodic table. These transformations are the result of assimilatory, dissimilatory or detoxification processes and form the base of most biogeochemical cycles. These activities can result in the production of nanomaterials, biominerals, and mineral deposits. This lecture will give an overview of microbial arsenic, selenium, chromium, and iron biomineralization as well as the processes involved in the biogenesis of modern marine stromatolites.
Stromatolites: Over 3.5 Billion Years of "Geobiological" Interactions
Laminated carbonate sedimentary deposits called stromatolites were widespread prior to the Cambrian and provide evidence for the appearance of life and its early evolution. Although limited in global distribution today, living stromatolites are surprisingly abundant in the warm waters of the Caribbean. Their biogenesis has been found to involve several different surface microbial communities and different sedimentary processes (e.g., trapping, binding, lithification). This lecture will describe work on the living stromatolites and laminated microbial communities found in the intertidal waters and ponds on islands in the Exumas.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – John F. Stolz
Dr. Stolz’s interests are in fundamental questions in microbial ecology as well as the application of unique microbial species for bioremediation. Three major areas of interest of his group are: 1) the ecophysiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology of dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria, 2) the ecophysiology of phototrophic prokaryotes, and 3) bioremediation. Dr. Stolz is well known for his work on microbes, minerals, and metals, with particular emphasis on anaerobic respiration with novel alternative electron acceptors. Respiration using alternative terminal electron acceptors, such as arsenic and selenium oxyanions, is a relatively new discovery and Stolz is a pioneer in the isolation and characterization (i.e., physiology and 16S rRNA) of arsenate- and selenate- respiring bacteria, development of molecular and biochemical probes to identify these species in nature and animal systems, and the characterization of novel terminal reductases (i.e., Nap, DAsR, and DSeR).
ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – John F. Stolz
Primary Division: Q (Environmental & General Applied Microbiology)
Secondary Division: N (Microbial Ecology)
Regina Rabinovich (’15)
(Speaker Term: 7/1/13 - 6/30/15)
Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases
Harvard School of Public Health
665 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: 617-432-3010
Fax: 617-432-4677 (c/o Colleen Saville)
E-mail: rrabinov@hsph.harvard.edu
LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Whither Malaria? From Control to Eradication
The malaria public health paradigm is shifting from control to elimination and eradication. What is the progress at the front line, what are we learning, and what are the critical knowledge gaps and research questions?
How Does Basic Science Translate into Usable Interventions in Neglected Diseases?
The new focus on neglected infectious diseases challenges every aspect of science and public health, from basic discoveries to interventions (drugs, vaccines, and vector based interventions), as well as strategies to finance and delivery. Progress and lessons will be drawn from the fields of malaria, guinea worm, dengue, Chagas, and others.
Impact of Philanthropic and Not-for-Profit Organizations on Global Health Policy: Malaria as a Case Study
The global health agenda has become increasingly complex, with new actors, organizations, and ways of engaging and showing results. Malaria illustrates the story – how products are developed, policies are set, projects become national programs, global targets are drawn, and impact is measured.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Regina Rabinovich
Dr. Regina Rabinovich is a global health executive with over 25 years of experience in the research, public health, and philanthropic sectors, with focus on strategy, analytics, global health product development, and the introduction and scale-up of tools and strategies resulting in impact on endemic populations. Currently, she is the 2012-2013 ExxonMobil Malaria Scholar in Residence at Harvard University. Prior to joining Harvard, she served as Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (from 2003-2012), overseeing the development and implementation of strategies for the prevention, treatment, and control of diseases of particular relevance to global health, including malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and neglected infectious diseases.
Dr. Rabinovich has also served in various positions at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), focusing on the development and evaluation of vaccines. She participated in the Children's Vaccine Initiative, a global effort to prevent infectious diseases in children in the developing world, and served as liaison to the National Vaccine Program Office, focusing on vaccine safety and vaccine research. As chief of the Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Branch of the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, she managed the evaluation of candidate vaccines through a network of U.S. clinical research units.
In 1999, Rabinovich became director of the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, a project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance efforts to develop promising malaria vaccine candidates. She joined the foundation in 2003. She serves on the boards of several organizations focused on global health and infectious diseases, including the NIAID Council and the NIH Council on Councils, PATH Vaccine Solutions, and AERAS.
Dr. Rabinovich holds a medical degree from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Iowa.
ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Regina Rabinovich
Primary Division: Y (Public Health)
Secondary Division: L (Healthcare Epidemiology)
Bert L. Semler (’15)
(Speaker Term: 7/1/13 - 6/30/15)
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
School of Medicine, Med Sci B237
University of California
Irvine, CA 92697
Phone: 949-824-7573
Fax: 949-824-2694
E-mail: blsemler@uci.edu
LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Out of the Nucleus and into Action: Host Cell Proteins in Picornavirus Translation and RNA Replication
(For specific information on this lecture, please contact Bert L. Semler at blsemler@uci.edu)
Picornavirus Genetic Economy: Complex Replication Events with Only a Few Viral Players
(For specific information on this lecture, please contact Bert L. Semler at blsemler@uci.edu)
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Bert L. Semler
CV is available by request from adempsey@asmusa.org at ASM Headquarters
Highlights from CV:
Research and Professional Experience:
1991-present Professor, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
2010-present Director, Center for Virus Research, University of California, Irvine
Education: Doctor of Philosophy – Biology (University of California, San Diego)
Other:
2002-2012 Journal of Virology, Editor
1992-present Virology, Editorial Board
2007 Elected, Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology
2010 Elected, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
2011 Elected, President of the American Society for Virology
ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Bert L. Semler
Primary Division: T (RNA Viruses)
Secondary Division: H (Genetics & Molecular Biology)
Dr. Abelardo Moncayo ('15)
(Speaker Term: 7/1/13 - 6/30/15)
630 Hart Lane
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: 615-262-6356
Fax: 615-262-6324
E-mail: abelardo.moncayo@tn.gov
Speaker’s URL: http://globalhealth.vanderbilt.edu/vigh-people/expanded/view/?id=61
LECTURE TOPICS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Epidemiology of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia in the U.S.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii and is transmitted primarily by the American dog tick. It has recently been suggested that multiple species of rickettsia may be responsible for causing what is clinically described as RMSF and that ticks other than the American dog tick may be important in transmitting these pathogens to humans. This lecture will describe studies on ticks, wildlife, canines and humans in Tennessee, a hyperendemic state for RMSF.
Use of Flanders Virus as a Sentinel for the Emergence of Co-Circulating West Nile Virus
West Nile virus (WNV) and Flanders virus (FLAV) co-circulate in Culex mosquitoes since the arrival of WNV to North America. We hypothesized that detection of FLAV can be utilized to predict the location and timing of WNV in areas where these two viruses co-circulate. We trapped over 1 million mosquitoes in the southeastern U.S. from 2001 to 2009 and tested them via cell culture and RealTime PCR for both WNV and FLAV. GIS analyses were conducted to determine temporal and spatial relationships between these two viruses. FLAV appeared prior to WNV by almost 2 months in Memphis, TN, and by approximately one month in Atlanta, GA. FLAV had a positive predictive value of as high as 90% for WNV within small geographic areas. FLAV therefore is able to serve as a sentinel for WNV and as a trigger for public health control and prevention interventions targeting WNV.
Chagas Disease in the U.S… Really?
Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is endemic in Latin America and affects an estimated 9-10 million. Autochthonous transmission of T. cruzi appears to occur in the U.S. This lecture will describe studies in wildlife and canines conducted in the southeastern U.S. The potential risk of transmission to humans and domestic animals and its implications will be discussed.
Latin-American Style Transmission of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus in the U.S.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is the most severe arboviral disease in the world due to its morbidity and mortality. EEE in the U.S. occurs mainly in coastal areas where the principal mosquito vector, Culiseta melanura, maintains transmission in swamp habitats among birds. Recently, inland cases have occurred in areas with very limited or no habitat for Cs. melanura. It appears that another mosquito vector is maintaining EEE virus in these inland sites. This mosquito is an opportunistic feeder, feeding on rodents, in a way that is similar to the transmission of EEE virus and other encephalitis viruses in Latin America.
The Emergence of La Crosse Encephalitis in Appalachia
La Crosse Virus (LAC) is a mosquito-borne virus and a major cause of pediatric encephalitis in the United States. LAC emerged in Tennessee and other states in the Appalachian region in 1997. We investigated the potential roles of the native mosquito vector, Aedes triseraitus, and two recently introduced mosquito species, Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus, in LAC transmission in an emerging disease focus in Tennessee. Maximum likelihood ratios varied among the tree vector species from 3.55 for A. triseriatus, 2.87 for A. albopictus, to 0.63 for A. japonicus. This may be related to the length of time the species have been present in the area, with A. triseriatus as the native species and A. albopictus and A. japonicus as recent invaders. We conclude that A. triseraitus and A. albopictus are important vectors and that A. japonicus is also likely contributing to LAC transmission.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH – Dr. Abelardo Moncayo
Abelardo C. Moncayo, M.S., Ph.D. is the Director of the Tennessee Vector-Borne Diseases Program at the State Department of Health, Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, and Lecturer at the Center for Medicine, Health and Society where he teaches Global Health. He earned his undergraduate and M.S. degrees from Ohio University and his Ph.D. in medical entomology from the University of Massachusetts. After his Ph.D., he was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship at the Center for Tropical Diseases and Department of Pathology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, where his research focused on the molecular evolution, epidemiology and ecology of mosquito-borne arboviruses in Latin America and Africa.
Dr. Moncayo currently oversees all state vector-borne disease surveillance activities in Tennessee and directs the State Vector-Borne Diseases Laboratory where he trains research fellows and students. His research interests include understanding the epidemiology, ecology and clinical outcome of vector-borne diseases to identify risk factors and inform disease control and prevention measures. He also serves as Vice-President and Region IV Director for the National Association of Vector Disease Control Officials and is President and co-founder of the Tennessee Mosquito and Vector Control Association.
CV is available upon request from adempsey@asmusa.org at ASM Headquarters.
ASM MEMBERSHIP AFFILIATION – Dr. Abelardo Moncayo
Primary Division: Y (Public Health)
Secondary Division: C (Clinical Microbiology)