Expert Exchange Interviews
PAI Senior Editors Neil Greenspan, MD, PhD, and Michael Lederman, MD, Talk With David Baltimore, PhD
David Baltimore, PhD, reflects on his contributions to biomedical science, which have had a major influence on the fields of molecular biology, virology, cancer, and immunology.
PAI Senior Editors Robert Bonomo, MD, and Michael Lederman, MD, Talk With Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD
Dr. Arturo Casadevall shares insight into his childhood, what motivated him to go into biomedical research, the impact of the AIDS epidemic, and the lessons learned that he imparts to younger scientists.
Vishva Dixit Shares Insights on His Early Influences, Research Career, Key Findings, and What it Takes to Be Successful in Science
In this interview, Vishva Dixit, MD, talks with Neil S. Greenspan, MD, PhD, senior editor of Pathogens and Immunity aboutwhat his career in science has revealed about biology in humans, but also what it has revealed about how to be successful in science. Dr. Dixit is a world-famous immunologist and biochemist who has made major contributions to the study of innate immunity in general and particularly to understanding inflammasome activation. He is vice president and senior fellow in physiological chemistry at Genentech
Peter Doherty, Nobel Laureate: Questions and Reflections Concerning MHC Restriction and other Fruits of a Life of Biomedical Erudition
Peter Doherty, PhD, talked with PAI Senior Editor Neil Greenspan, MD, PhD, about the landmark article he and Rolf Zinkernagel published in Nature that described the ability of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)-specific cytotoxic T cells to lyse LCMV-infected, 51Cr-labeled target cells if the target cells shared class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules with these T cells.
Erica Ollmann Saphire: How the Study of HIV and Other Viruses Informed the Rapid Development of Vaccines and Therapeutic Antibodies Against COVID-19
In this interview, Dr. Erica Ollmann Saphire discusses how structural biology informs antibody drug development against COVID-19, in a sneak preview of her Keynote Address at the Keystone Symposia on “Antibodies as Drugs,” which takes place April 27-30, 2022.
>>Watch the Interviews: Part 1 and, in this second part Dr. Ollmann Saphire shares how her work on hemorrhagic fevers prepared her, and the world, for a rapid response to COVID-19.
*Video produced as a collaboration between Pathogens and Immunity and Keystone Symposia.
Raymond Schinazi Discusses the Discovery of Early Antiretroviral Agents and Sofosbuvir
Dr. Raymond Schinazi talks about his career with Dr. Michael Lederman and Dr. Neil Greenspan, senior editors of Pathogens and Immunity. Dr. Schinazi has invented numerous powerful antiviral agents including the antiretrovirals lamivudine (3TC) and emtricitabline (FTC) and the anti-hepatitis C agent sofosbuvir. These agents have saved millions of lives, and here, Dr. Schinazi talks in detail about how these agents were invented, how they work, how they are being applied and offers his thoughts about newer approaches to treat viral infections.
Julie Segre, PHD: The Link Between Math and Biology, and the Importance of Collaboration
In this interview with Pathogens and Immunity (PAI), Dr. Julie Segre, researcher for the National Human Genome Research Institute and expert in the field of skin biology, discusses the influences that formed her scientific career and the link between her background in mathematics and molecular biology.
She shares her experience developing the human genome project and how she evolved into studies focused on the microbiome and its impact on health and skin disease with PAI’s senior editors, Mahmoud Ghannoum, PHD, and Robert A. Bonomo, MD.
She says she enjoys transitioning into new areas of research and pairing her expertise with the expertise of colleagues to ask new questions. “I am comfortable being uncomfortable,” she says. As part of being a “good scientific citizen,” she says thinking about the translational aspect of how research will advance care is an important consideration when devising a study. “Don’t just think someone else will pick this up and try to communicate the findings,” she says, adding that she finds herself focusing now on collaboration, how to build and maintain scientific community, as well as how to communicate ideas. “I do believe that the community is stronger than each of us as individuals,” she says.
>>Watch the Interview.
*Video produced as a collaboration between Pathogens and Immunity and Keystone Symposia.
Drew Weissman discusses his work exploring the use of messenger RNA (mRNA) to drive heterologous gene expression in human cells and the application of his findings
In this interview, Dr. Drew Weissman talks with Michael M. Lederman, MD, and Neil Greenspan, MD, PhD, senior editors of Pathogens and Immunity, about his work exploring the use of messenger RNA (mRNA) to drive heterologous gene expression in human cells and the application of his findings to vaccine development and gene therapy. Dr. Weissman received the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine together with Katalin Karikó, PhD. His work has revolutionized immunization technology and allowed for the production of the most effective vaccines to prevent COVID-19.