ITP News Archive
Rachel Fearns Receives Hartwell Foundation Award
Rachel Fearns was awarded an Individual Biomedical Research Award from the The Hartwell Foundation for her research proposal entitled “Treating Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection by Targeting the Viral Polymerase.” This competitive award is to fund early-stage, innovative, and cutting-edge biomedical research to benefit children. Bravo, Rachel.
2015 Microbiology Trainee Travel Award Winners
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Microbiology Trainee Travel Awards!
1stPlace: Munir Mosaheb (graduate student, Wetzler Lab) who will attend the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Fundamental Immunology and Its Therapeutic Potential, in Cold Spring Harbor, NY, from April 14-18, 2015.
2ndPlace: Michelle Fleury (graduate student, Dooms Lab) who will attend the Federation of Clinical Immunological Societies Meeting, in San Diego, CA, from June 24-27, 2015.
2ndPlace: Suzanne Geer Kijewski (graduate student, Gummuluru lab) who attended the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, in Seattle, WA, from February 23-26, 2015.
Connor Lab featured in Live Science for research on early detection of Lassa and Marburg viruses
The Connor Lab, was featured in Live Science for studies published in BMC Genomics that may lead to detection of Lassa and Marburg viruses during the early stages of disease.
Thomas Kepler was Named 2014 Norman Letvin Scholars of the Duke CHAVI-ID
Congratulations to Thomas Kepler who was named one of the 2014 Norman Letvin Scholars of the Duke CHAVI-ID.
Dr. Elke Mühlberger interviewed on “How People Catch Ebola, and How they Don’t”
Dr. Elke Mühlberger, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Director of the Biomolecule Production Core at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, was interviewed about Ebola transmission on WBUR’s CommonHealth on October 22, 2014.
Thomas Kepler Featured in Boston Magazine
Findings from a new study led by Dr. Thomas Kepler and colleagues at Boston University School of Medicine, in collaboration with researchers at Duke University School of Medicine, has significant implications for an HIV vaccine: http://bit.ly/1oM5Pid
John Connor Featured in USAToday
John Connor is researching ways to quickly detect diseases and viruses using portable devices and LED lights. They are currently awaiting federal approval to test this method on Ebola. You can read more about this in the USAToday article featuring Dr. Connor's work here: http://usat.ly/1t2VzBw
John Connor in WIRED
Dr. John Connor discussed research into Ebola treatments with WIRED Magazine. The article can be viewed here: http://wrd.cm/1slinMr
ITP Welcomes Five New Trainees
The Immunology Training Program has welcomed five new trainees:
Postdoctoral Trainees:
Blanche Ip - Nikolajczyk Lab
Luis Agosto - Henderson Lab
Pre-doctoral Trainees:
Ian Francis - Microbiology, Wetzler Lab
Alicia Wooten - Molecular & Translational Medicine, Lafyatis Lab
Raquel Rodriguez - Molecular & Translational Medicine, Ingalls Lab
Kristie Hilliard Gets First Place in 20th Russek Student Achievement Day
Kristie Hilliard won the first place prize for the Microbiology Department at the 20th Annual Henry I. Russek Student Achievement Day Friday May 2, 2014 for a presentation entitled "The Lung-Liver Axis Facilitates Innate Immunity and Survival During Pneumonia."
Munir Mosaheb Recieves FASEB MARC, Microbiology Travel Awards
Munir Mosaheb from Lee Wetzler’s lab was selected to receive a FASEB MARC Program Poster/Oral Presentation Travel Award, the Microbiology Department Travel Award, and the AAI 2014 Abstract Award to attend and present at Immunology 2014, The American Association of Immunologiests annual meeting from May 2-6, 2014 in Pittsburgh, PA. Munir will be presenting a talk entitled "Examination of the Role of Dendritic Cells, Macrophages, and B Cells as a Function of Vaccine Adjuvants". Munir will also be presenting two posters at the conference.
Kristie Hilliard and Emily Nelson Win 2014 Corwin Award
Congratulations to Kristie Hilliard and Emily Nelson, who both are recipients of the 2014 Corwin Award. The Corwin Award recognizes students who exemplify the characteristics of an outstanding departmental “citizen.” Values of collegiality, scientific integrity, commitment to scientific endeavor, and active participation in departmental activites are all components taken into account when the selection of the Corwin Award recipient is made. These values best epitomize the contributions of Dr. Larry Corwin, a former member of the Microbiology Department for whom the award is named.
Barb Nikolajczyk Publishes Two New Articles
Barb Nikolajczyk, PhD has two publications out soon: The Bidirectional Relationship between Metabolism and Immune Responses & Immune cells link obesity-associated type 2 diabetes and periodontitis
Emily Nelson Wins OTD Award at 2013 BU Scholars Day
Emily Nelson won the Office of Technology Development Award at the 2014 BU Scholars Day for a poster entitled "Post Transcriptional RNA Regulation During Ebola Virus Infection".
Gerald Denis and Barb Nikolajczyk Co-Author New Publication
Gerald Denis, PhD and Barb Nikolajczyk, PhD co-authored as part of a team a new publication: The double bromodomain protein Brd2 promotes B cell expansion and mitogenesis.
Lee Wetzler and Andrew Platt Co-Author Two New Publications
Lee Wetzler, PhD and Andrew Platt (ITP Trainee 2011-2013) have co-authored two new publications: In Vivo and In Vitro Characterization of the Immune Stimulating Activity of the Neisserial Porin PorB & Innate immunity and vaccines.
Jennifer Schlezinger’s photo featured on the cover of JI
On the cover: Bone marrow stromal cell monolayers were treated with a prototypic aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene (DMBA). Monolayers were washed, and cloned bone marrow pro/preB cells were centrifuged onto the monolayer. Fluorescent DMBA metabolites from stromal cells (pink) can be seen accumulating in adjacent B cells (blue), likely through membrane transfer. Teague, J. E., H-Y. Ryu,M. Kirber, D.H. Sherr, and J. J. Schlezinger. 2010. Proximal events in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced, stromal cell-dependent bone marrow B cell apoptosis: stromal cell–B cell communication and apoptosis signaling. J. Immunol. 185: 3369–3378.
Dr. Gerald Denis featured in NIH publication!
Dr. Gerald Denis along with Dr. Catherine Costello are featured in the current issue of the National Center for Research Resources Reporter, an NIH publication that highlights interesting collaborations between researchers that have pushed the research frontier forward with instrument and scientific innovations. They are noted for their work on development of a proteomic signature for lymphoma, for which they designed and tested important new tools that will be widely applicable to diverse kinds of malignancies and immunological disorders.
The PDF can be found here: NCRR Summer 2010
Anna Belkina, graduate student in Denis Lab, finalist for Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award!
Anna Belkina, a graduate student in molecular medicine, who is working in the Denis lab on the immunological basis of insulin resistance in obesity, is a finalist for the Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award. She will be presenting her work at the upcoming meeting of the Obesity Society in San Diego in October.
Welcome, Dr. Winandy, to ITP!
Dr. Susan Winandy, Nancy L.R. Bucher Assistant Professor in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, has been elected to join our Immunology Training Program faculty! Welcome, Dr. Winandy!
Welcome, Dr. Andrew Taylor, to ITP!!
Dr. Andrew Taylor, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, has been elected to join our Immunology Training Program faculty! Welcome, Dr. Taylor!