Luis Giavedoni, PhD

Brackenridge Distinguished Professor of Biology

Trinity University

Adjunct Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics

Infections Diseases Research

Dr. Luis Giavedoni's principal research interests include the study of Viral Infections and the Development of Vaccines Against such Infections. The lab specifically works in understanding the innate and adaptive immune responses to retroviral infections in animal models of natural and experimental infections, and in identifying correlates of vaccine-induced protection against infection with filoviruses. We study the role of cytokines and co-stimulatory proteins, molecules that mediate communication between the immune system and the whole organism. Our laboratory has been developing reagents for the identification of cytokines in nonhuman primates (NHP) and also studying the potential use of these molecules to modify the outcome of immune responses. Research programs also aim at therapeutic approaches by controlling or eliminating the virus in NHP infected with SIV.

Sub-Field of Study: Viral diseases

Specific Field of Study: Vaccines development and therapeutic approaches

Associated Diseases: AIDS, hemorrhagic fevers, Zika virus infection

Techniques Used: CRISPR/Cas genetic approaches, molecular cloning, next-generation sequencing, molecular cloning, flow cytometry, ELISPOT, ELISA, Luminex technology.

Research & Grants
Publications
Complete List of Publications
- Durudas, A., Chen, H.L., Gasper, M.A., Sundaravaradan, V., Milush, J.M., Silvestri, G., Johnson, W., Giavedoni, L.D. and Sodora, D.L. (2011) Differential Innate Immune Responses to Low or High Dose Oral SIV Challenge in Rhesus Macaques. Curr HIV Res.
- Pascutti, M.F., Rodriguez, A.M., Falivene, J., Giavedoni, L., Drexler, I. and Gherardi, M.M. (2011) Interplay between modified vaccinia virus Ankara and dendritic cells: phenotypic and functional maturation of bystander dendritic cells. J Virol 85, 5532-45.
- Sariol, C.A., Martinez, M.I., Rivera, F., Rodriguez, I.V., Pantoja, P., Abel, K., Arana, T., Giavedoni, L., Hodara, V., White, L.J., Anglero, Y.I., Montaner, L.J. and Kraiselburd, E.N. (2011) Decreased dengue replication and an increased anti-viral humoral response with the use of combined Toll-like receptor 3 and 7/8 agonists in macaques. PLoS One 6, e19323
- Waleh, N., Seidner, S., McCurnin, D., Giavedoni, L., Hodara, V., Goelz, S., Liu, B.M., Roman, C. and Clyman, R.I. (2011) Anatomic Closure of the Premature Patent Ductus Arteriosus: The Role of CD14+/CD163+ Mononuclear Cells and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in Neointimal Mound Formation. Pediatr Res. 70, 332-338.
- Belshan M, Kimata JT, Brown C, Cheng X, McCulley A, Larsen A, Thippeshappa R, Hodara V, Giavedoni L, Hirsch V, Ratner L. (2012) Vpx is Critical for SIVmne infection of pigtail macaques. Retrovirology 9:32.
- Del Prete, G. Q., M. Scarlotta, L. Newman, C. Reid, L. M. Parodi, J. D. Roser, K. Oswald, P. A. Marx, C. J. Miller, R. C. Desrosiers, D. H. Barouch, R. Pal, M. Piatak, Jr., E. Chertova, L. D. Giavedoni, D. H. O’Connor, J. D. Lifson, and B. F. Keele. (2013) Comparative Characterization of Transfection- and Infection-Derived SIV Challenge Stocks for In Vivo Non-Human Primate Studies. J Virol 87:4584-95. PMCID: 3691056.
- Giavedoni, L. D., H. L. Chen, V. L. Hodara, L. Chu, L. M. Parodi, L. M. Smith, V. Sexton, D. Cappelli, and D. L. Sodora. (2013) Impact of mucosal inflammation on oral simian immunodeficiency virus transmission. J Virol 87:1750-8. PMCID: 3554177.
- Lanford, R. E., B. Guerra, D. Chavez, L. Giavedoni, V. L. Hodara, K. M. Brasky, A. Fosdick, C. R. Frey, J. Zheng, G. Wolfgang, R. L. Halcomb, and D. B. Tumas. (2013) GS-9620, an Oral Agonist of Toll-Like Receptor-7, Induces Prolonged Suppression of Hepatitis B Virus in Chronically Infected Chimpanzees. Gastroenterology 144 (7): 1508-17. PMCID: 3691056.
- Turk, G., Y. Ghiglione, J. Falivene, M. E. Socias, N. Laufer, R. S. Coloccini, A. M. Rodriguez, M. J. Ruiz, M. A. Pando, L. D. Giavedoni, P. Cahn, O. Sued, H. Salomon, and M. M. Gherardi. (2013) Early Gag immunodominance of the HIV-specific T-cell response during acute/early infection is associated with higher CD8+ T-cell antiviral activity, and correlates with the preservation of the CD4+ T-cell compartment. J Virol. 87 (13): 7445-62. PMCID: 3700299
- Fraietta, J. A., Mueller, Y. M., Yang, G., Boesteanu, A. C., Gracias, D. T., Do, D. H., Hope, J. L., Kathuria, N., McGettigan, S. E., Lewis, M. G., Giavedoni, L. D,. Jacobson, J. M., Katsikis, P. D. (2013) Type I interferon upregulates Bak and contributes to T cell loss during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. PLoS Pathog 9 (10): e1003658. PMCID: 3795023.