"From the Bench to the Field and Back: A Global Approach to Dengue and Influenza"
Dr. Eva Harris
January 26 , 2011
Lecture Summary:
In this talk, Dr. Harris will discuss the approach she has developed over the last two decades of combining bench work at the University of California, Berkeley, with field work in Nicaragua to investigate the pathogenesis, immunology and epidemiology of dengue and influenza. She will describe the long-term pediatric cohort study ongoing in Managua, Nicaragua, and epidemiological insights that have been derived about dengue and influenza and possibly interactions between the two. She will also discuss her work on a dengue mouse model of antibody-dependent infection and lethal disease that allows mechanistic investigation of the role of natural and therapeutic antibodies in protection and pathogenesis, and how this interfaces with parallel studies of dengue immunology in human populations. Finally, this work underscores the importance of long-term collaborations in global health and partnerships for sustained scientific capacity building in developing countries.
Lecture Objectives:
1. To understand the epidemiology of dengue and influenza in tropical developing countries, such as Nicaragua.
2. To understand dengue immunology and pathogenesis and a) how a mouse model of antibody-dependent infection and lethal disease allows mecahnistic investigation of the role of natural and therapeutic antibodies in protection and pathogenesis, and b) how this can interface with parallel studies of dengue immunology in human populations.
3. To develop an appreciation for long-term collaborations in global health and partnerships for sustained scientific capacity building in developing countries.
Recent Publications:
Balsitis, S.*, Williams, K.*, Lachica, R., Flores, D., Kyle, J.L., Mehlhop, E., Johnson, S., Diamond, M., Beatty, P.R., and Harris, E. (2010) Lethal antibody enhancement of dengue disease in mice is prevented by Fc modification. PLoS Path. 6:e1000790.
Balmaseda, A., Standish, K., Mercado, J.C., Matute, J.C., Tellez, Y., Saborío, S., Hammond, S.N., Nuñez, A., Henn, M.R., Holmes, E.C., Gordon, A., Coloma, J., Kuan, G., and Harris, E. (2010) Trends in patterns of dengue transmission in a pediatric cohort study in Nicaragua. J. Infect. Dis. 201:5-14
Gordon, A., Saborio, S., Videa, E., López, R., Kuan, G., Balmaseda, A., and Harris, E. (2010) Attack rate and clinical presentation of H1N1pdm compared to seasonal influenza A and B in a pediatric cohort in Nicaragua. Clin Infect Dis. 50:1462-7.
