My research interests revolve around the goal of understanding fundamental mechanisms of viral pathogenesis with an emphasis on regulation of the early innate immune response and the innate-to-adaptive response transition in the development of disease. As a component of this work we have focused on development and use of preclinical models for viral infections. The NIAID BSL-4 facility in Frederick, Maryland supports clinical imaging capabilities. We have taken advantage of these capabilities to evaluate disease progression as we work to refine a non-human primate model for Nipah virus infection that accurately represents human disease. We have also worked with colleagues to evaluate medical countermeasures for Ebola, Lassa, and Nipah virus along with MERS-CoV. Recent efforts have focused on testing of potential antibody therapies for COVID in both cell culture and small animal systems.

PhD — Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Characterization of yellow fever virus infection of human and non-human primate antigen presenting cells and their interaction with CD4+ T cells. Cong Y, McArthur MA, Cohen M, Jahrling PB, Janosko KB, Josleyn N, Kang K, Zhang T and Holbrook MR. PLoS Neg Trop Dis 2016: 10: e0004709 PMID: 27191161

Loss in lung volume and changes in the immune response demonstrate disease progression in African Green monkeys infected by small-particle aerosol and intratracheal exposure to Nipah virus. Cong Y, Lentz M, Rojas O, Kollins E, Alexander I, Bartos C, Mollura D, Hammoud D, Solomon J, Xu Z, Lara A, Janosko K, Munster V and Holbrook MR. PLoS Neg Trop Dis 2017: 11(4): e0005532. PMID: 28388650

A VLP-based vaccine provides complete protection against Nipah virus challenge following multiple-dose or single-dose vaccination schedules in a hamster model. Walpita P, Cong Y, Jahrling PB, Rojas O, Postnikova E, Yu S, Johns L and Holbrook MR. npj Vaccines 2017: 2: s41541-017-0023-7. PMID: 29263588

Aerosol exposure to intermediate size Nipah virus particles induces neurological disease in African green monkeys. Hammoud D, Lentz M, Lara A, Bohannon JK, Feuerstein I, Huzella L, Jahrling PB, Lackemeyer M, Laux J, Rojas O, Sayre, Solomon J, Cong Y, Munster V and Holbrook MR PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018: 12(11): e0006978. PMID: 30462637

The use of large-particle aerosol exposure to Nipah virus to mimic human neurological disease in the African green monkey. Lee J-H, Hammoud D, Cong Y. Huzella LM, Castro MA, Solomon J, Laux, J, Lackemeyer M, Bohannon JK, Rojas O, Byrum R, Adams R, Ragland D, St Claire M, Munster V and Holbrook MR J Infect Dis 2020: 221(Supp 4): S419-S430. PMID: 31687756