Division of Infectious Disease & Translational Medicine

The Infectious Disease & Translational Medicine Division is comprised of four Resource Cores: Mucosal Immunology Core, Virology Immunology Core, the High Throughput Molecular Profiling Core, and the Computer Data Analysis Core. Through these cores, the division supports the following programs: Core Research Program, Affiliate Research Program and Training Program.

The division includes both core and affiliate investigators with a broad spectrum of active research programs. The Core Research Program currently includes core investigators maintaining active research programs in the following areas:

• Virology
• Vaccine research
• Immunology
• Evaluation of anti-HIV drugs and microbicides
• Animal models
• Molecular Biology
• Genomics

The Affiliate Research Program includes many research affiliates and collaborators outside of the Center who routinely utilize the Center’s scientific, technical, laboratory and animal resources. The Affiliate Research Program encompasses all aspects of AIDS-related research.

Training program
All members of the Core Research Program participate in the training of personnel conducting AIDS-related research. Besides training of students, fellows, research technologists and other professionals, members of division also host national and international visiting scholars, conduct seminars and organize research meetings to promote and utilize the intellectual and scientific resources at the Center.

The Center is unique in its ability to simultaneously apply genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and bioinformatic analyses to the characterization of nonhuman primate biomedical models. The Division of Nonhuman Primate Systems Biology integrates these complementary technologies to provide previously unavailable characterization of the nonhuman primate response to infectious agents and vaccines.

The High Throughput Molecular Profiling Core and the Computer Data Analysis Cores—provide the resources needed to analyze nonhuman primates at multiple points along the flow of biological information; from the whole animal to single cells, and from DNA to RNA to protein to biological function. By integrating these diverse types of data, we can learn how gene expression changes correlate with changes in protein abundance, modification, and function. We also have the opportunity to better understand the dynamics of the host response to infection and the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression to virus-mediated disease, immunopathology, or the development of protective immunity.

Moreover, by working with an animal model, we can assess how changes in gene expression or protein abundance or modification affect immune cell function, and how the innate immune response develops and its link to adaptive immunity. This integrated approach can translate into molecular signatures that predict protective immunity or pathology, biomarkers for diagnostic or prognostic assays, and a rational base for improvements to antiviral therapies and vaccines.

Transcriptional profiling (RNA-seq and microarray) and bioinformatic and computational analyses are also available on a fee-for-service basis through Division-operated Seattle Genomics.

Core Staff Scientists