Research Interests Our research focuses on understanding the mechanisms and development of effective vaccines for influenza, HIV-1 and biodefense agents, such as Rift Valley Fever virus, West Nile virus and Dengue virus. DNA vaccination (genetic vaccination) induces protective immunity against a variety of pathogens. These genetic vaccines consist of eukaryotic expression plasmids that are inoculated into target cells and translated into proteins. DNA vaccination effectively induces both humoral and cellular immune responses to immunogens from diverse infectious agents. In order to improve the efficacy of vaccines for infectious disease, our laboratory has developed several strategies to elicit high titer protective immune responses: 1) Virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines and 2) Viral envelope glycoprotein conjugated to a component of the innate immune system, C3d. Each regimen effectively stimulates the broadly reactive immune responses to combat the diversity of viral isolates. These vaccines are tested in rodents and non-human primates, as well as human clinical trials.   Selected Publications Quan FS, Steinhauer D, Huang C, Ross TM, Compans RW, Kang SM. A bivalent influenza VLP vaccine confers complete inhibition of virus replication in lungs. Vaccine. 2008 Apr 11. Balin SJ, Ross TM, Platt JL, Cascalho M. HIV genes diversify in B cells. Curr HIV Res. 2008 Jan;6(1):10-8. Bright RA, Carter DM, Crevar CJ, Toapanta FR, Steckbeck JD, Cole KS, Kumar NM, Pushko P, Smith G, Tumpey TM, Ross TM. Cross-clade protective immune responses to influenza viruses with H5N1 HA and NA elicited by an influenza virus-like particle. PLoS ONE. 2008 Jan 30;3(1):e1501. Cole KS, Ross TM. Antibody neutralization. Curr HIV Res. 2007 Nov;5(6):505-6. No abstract available. Complete Publication Listing   Grant Support NIH/NIAID: Evaluation of HIV-1 env intracytoplasmic domain as an AIDS vaccine immunogen. Role: Co-Investigator NOIVAVAX: Analyzing immunity induced by influenza VLPs. Role: Principal Investigator NIH/NIAID: Modeling immunity for biodefense. Role: Co-Investigator DOD: Dengue VLP vaccines. Role: Co-Investigator NIH/NIAID: Elicitation of immunity using consensus env VLP. Role: Principal Investigator   Other Links Current HIV Research IDM Webpage CVR Webpage University of Pittsburgh

Ted M. Ross, Ph.D. Office:  9047 Biomedical Science Tower 3 Lab: 9051 - 13B BST3 Phone: 412 648 8666 Fax: 412 624-4577 rosst@dom.pitt.edu   Academic Affiliations Assistant Professor (Primary) University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases Investigator University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Research Assistant Professor (Joint) University of Pittsburgh Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Assistant Professor (Joint) University of Pittsburgh Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Member, Program in Molecular Virology and Microbiology   Education 1986 B.S. Zoology 1989 M.S. Microbiology University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 1996 Ph.D. Microbiology Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 1996-1998 Postdoc Howard Hughes/Genetics-HIV Duke University Durham, NC 1998-2000 Senior Res. Associate Yerkes Vaccine Development Emory University Atlanta, GA   Lab Personnel Post-Doctoral Fellows: Franklin Toapanta, Ph.D. Kristen Schneider, Ph.D. Graduate Students: Sean McBurney Nitin Bhardwaj Research Technicians: Donald Carter Corey Crevar Matthew Dunn Karen Triff Lab Phone: 412-383-9605