Franco Pissani

Franco Pissani

Dr. Franco Pissani is a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Hendrik Streeck. He received his PhD in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon in 2012. He completed his doctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Nancy L. Haigwood studying the effect of HIV Envelope evolution on antibody responses to HIV infection and DNA vaccine design. His doctoral dissertation describes the intricate co-evolution of the HIV virus and the host antibody response to design and test DNA vaccines. As a graduate student, Dr. Pissani was awarded numerous competitive NIH-funded training grants, in addition to Keystone Symposia scholarships and the Sears Memorial Fellowship Award for graduate excellence from the Oregon Health and Science University graduate school.

Dr. Pissani’s current research, working with Dr. Hendrik Streeck, explores the multifaceted response of CD4+ T cells to both natural HIV infection and ineffective vaccines. He is particularly interested in learning how to induce CD4+ T cells to orchestrate an effective immune response to vaccination by studying different aspects of protective immune responses in HIV-infected patients. These studies will guide the design of novel vaccines against pathogens that have evolved to evade detection and eradication, such as HIV.

AWARDS and HONORS

  • Sears Memorial Fellowship Award Recipient,2012
  • National Institute of Health T-32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant Recipient, 2012
  • Keystone Symposia on HIV Vaccines Scholarship, Keystone, CO, 2012
  • National Institute of Health T-32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant Recipient, 2011
  • National Institute of Health T-32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant Recipient, 2010
  • Keystone Symposia on HIV Vaccines Scholarship, Banff, AB, Canada, 2010
  • National Institute of Health T-32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant Recipient, 2009
  • National Institute of Health T-32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant Recipient, 2007
  • National Institute of Health T-32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant Recipient, 2006
  • Young Investigator Award, Symposium on Advancement of Wound Care,                San Diego, CA, 2005

PUBLICATIONS

  • Franco Pissani, Delphine C. Malherbe, Harlan Robins, Victor R. DeFilippis, Byung Park, George Sellhorn, Leonidas Stamatatos, Julie Overbaugh, and Nancy L. Haigwood. Motif-Optimized Subtype A HIV Envelope-based DNA Vaccines Rapidly Elicit Neutralizing Antibodies When Delivered Sequentially. Vaccine. 2012;30(37): 5519-26
  • Katelyn Atkins, Laurel Thomas, Robert Youker, Melanie Hariff, Franco Pissani, Huihong You, and Gary Thomas. (2008 ). HIV-1 Nef binds PACS-2 To Assemble a Multi-Kinase Cascade that Triggers MHC-1 Downregulation : Analysis using siRNA and knockout mice. J Biol Chem. 283(17): 11772-84.
  • Davis SC, Pisanni F, Montero RB. (2008). Effects of Commonly Used Topical Antimicrobial Agents on Acinetobacter Baumannii: An In-vitro Study. Mil Med. Jan; 173(1): 74-8.
  • Franco Pissani, Delphine C. Malherbe, Jason Schuman, Harlan Robins, Byung Park, Shelly Krebs, Leonidas Stamatatos, Julie Overbaugh, Susan Barnett, and Nancy L. Haigwood. Co-Immunization with matched or mismatched HIV envelope DNA and trimeric glycoprotein enriches antigen-specific IgG responses, increases neutralization potency and enhances avidity. Submitted.
Top