Request for Funding

Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2001

Mentor: Donald Sodora Ph.D.

Department: Internal Medicine

Room number: Y9.204

Mail Code: 9113

Phone number: 214-648-2438

E-mail: - Donald.Sodora@UTSouthwestern.edu

Project title: Assessment of Viral Specific T cells after Vaccination

Project Type: Basic research;

Brief Description of Project:

My laboratory uses an HIV animal model to ask questions which can not be addressed in human patients. We are involved in collaborations with other investigators undertaking vaccine studies using the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection/vaccination of macaques. We will be identifying and quantifying SIV specific T cells from SIV vaccinated macaques using an intracellular cytokine assay. The purpose is to determine which vaccines are most effective at eliciting a T cell response and whether the anti-SIV T cells correlate with protection from viral challenge. The student will also have an opportunity to assist in the development of a novel molecular assay to isolate T cell receptors from SIV specific T cells. The student will gain knowledge in the fields of Immunology and Virology and obtain skills with regard to the use of Flow Cytometry to study cell populations.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

Assessment of a Recombinant Simian Immunodeficiency Virus expressing the Green Fluorescence Protein Within Tissues of Rhesus Macaques Infected Orally. Lisa Montgomery1, Bruce K. Patterson2, Audry Claghorn1, Ziad Peerwani1, Ashoke Sathy, Joseph Oh3, Paul A. Luciw3, Marta Marthas3, Richard A. Koup1 and Donald L. Sodora1*. Manuscript in Preparation.

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