Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute Faculty and Research
VGTI Faculty
Klaus Frueh, Ph.D.
Professor
Research interests:
HHV8 virology and pathobiology, functional genomics, host pathogen interaction: particularly viral Immune modulation Works with the following viral families: Herpesviruses (cytomegalovirus, Kaposi’s sarcoma associated virus), Poxviruses (Cowpox, Monkeypox), Flaviviruses (West Nile Virus, Dengue Virus)
Scott W. Wong, Ph.D.
Professor
Research interests:
Viral pathogenesis and therapeutic development
Daniel Streblow, Ph.D.
Professor
Research interests:
CMV pathogenesis and transplantation
Scott Hansen, Ph.D.
Professor
Research interests:
HIV pathogenesis and vaccine development
Victor DeFilippis, Ph.D.
Professor
Research interests:
Activation and evasion of innate immune responses by viral pathogens
Afam Okoye, Ph.D.
Professor
Research interests:
Viral pathogenesis, T cell homeostasis, Immunological aging
Patrizia Caposio, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research interests:
CMV pathogenesis, vascular diseases, and angiogenesis
Alec Hirsch, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research interests:
Virus-host cell interactions
Rebecca Skalsky, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research interests:
Non-coding RNAs (i.e. microRNAs) in viral pathogenesis, DNA tumor virus biology (i.e. gamma-herpesviruses)
Brandon Wilder, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research interests:
The Wilder lab is focused on understanding how our immune system can fight malaria, and how we can use this information to make an effective vaccine suitable for widespread use and elimination of this ancient disease
Meaghan Hancock, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research interests:
Studying the roles of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) miRNAs in modulating host cellular signaling pathways
Daniel Malouli, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research interests:
Cytomegalovirus genomics, determinants of species specificity and evolution; BAC recombineering and vector construction, Vaccine development; non-human primate in vivo models.
Affiliate Faculty
Michael Axthelm, DVM, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Pathobiology and Immunology, ONPRC
Research interests: NPH models for Aids research, virology and human viral diseases
Benjamin Bimber, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and ONPRC Core Scientist
Research interests: HIV/TB/Malaria pathogenesis, Bioinformatics, Immunogenetics
Benjamin Burwitz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Division of Pathobiology and Immunology, ONPRC
Marcel E. Curlin, M.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious diseases, School of Medicine
Joint Appointment as Associate Professor at VGTI
Clinical Research Interest: HIV Vaccine research, emerging infectious diseases and development of international collaborative research initiatives between OHSU and partners in Southeast Asia
Nancy Haigwood, Ph.D.
Professor, Division of Pathobiology and Immunology, ONPRC
Research interests: HIV humoral immunity and pathogenesis
Morgan Hakki, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine
Division Head, Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine
Affiliate Faculty, Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute, OHSU
Research interest: Infections in the immunocompromised host (non-HIV)
Cytomegalovirus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Ann J. Hessell, Ph.D.
Professor & Division Head, Division of Pathobiology and Immunology, ONPRC
Research interests: HIV humoral immunity and pathogenesis
Bill Messer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, OHSU
Jonah Sacha Ph.D.
Professor, Division of Pathobiology and Immunology, ONPRC
Aleksandra Sikora, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Oregon State University
Adjunct Associate Professor, Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute, OHSU
Research Interests: Therapeutic interventions against gonorrhea.
Fikadu G. Tafesse, PhD
Associate Professor, Molecular Microbiology & Immunology OHSU
Research interest: host-pathogen interactions
Rachael Wolters, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor Division of Pathobiology and Immunology ONPRC
Previous VGTI Members
Jeremy Smedley, DVM, MS, DACLAM
Professor and Head of ONPRC Infectious Disease Resource
Ashlee Moses, Ph.D.
Professor