David garber, Ph.D.
Area of Research: HIV/AIDS
Dr. Garber is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine,
Division of Infectious Diseases. He earned his PhD in Microbiology
and Molecular Genetics from Harvard University, and completed
his post-doctoral training at Emory University.
Research
Our laboratory is focused on the development of safe, simple,
and highly immunogenic vaccines against AIDS and smallpox. Toward
this end, we are generating vaccines that are derived from an
attenuated orthopoxvirus, Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA).
We are taking an approach to enhance the immunogenicity of MVA-based
vaccines through genetic modification of the MVA vector. These
genetic modifications include deletion of relevant poxvirus genes
(eg immune-evasion genes and DNA-replication genes) and insertion
of genes encoding immunostimulatory molecules or factors that
modulate apoptosis of infected cells. The rationale for these
modifications comes from our basic studies of the molecular and
cellular interactions between poxviruses and their hosts. A particular
focus of these studies is to understand the pathways of poxvirus
antigen presentation, which are likely to be of central importance
in maximizing the magnitude and longevity of host immune responses
to vaccination. Our MVA-based vaccine candidates are systematically
evaluated in murine and non-human primate pre-clinical immunization
models for their ability to elicit potent and durable antiviral
cellular immune responses as well as antiviral humoral immunity.
In addition to their potential usefulness as AIDS and smallpox
vaccines, these vectors can be developed as candidate vaccines
against other heterologous infectious diseases.

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