The Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute (OHSU): Conducting Innovative and Collaborative Biomedical Research that Enables the Prevention and Cure of Infectious Diseases.

Description

Special scientific seminar

Objectives

Presenters

1. Dr. Scott Hansen
   The Hansen laboratory is focused on understanding the immunobiology of recombinant CMV vectors in the non-human primate model in order to generate vaccine vectors with the capacity to protect against progressive HIV/SIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb.) infection
   Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute


2. Dr. Brandon Wilder
   Brandon Wilder attended the University of Florida where he received his B.S. in 2006 and his Ph.D. in Immunology and Microbiology in 2012. He then did his postdoctoral fellowship with Stefan Kappe at the Center for Infectious Disease Research in Seattle, WA where he studied protective immune responses to malaria and eventually finished as a Research Assistant Professor in 2018. He then joined the OHSU Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute in as an Assistant Professor where he remains. From 2019-2023, he also split his time serving as the Unit Head of Immunology and Vaccine Development in the Department of Parasitology at the Naval Medical Research Unit-SOUTH in Lima, Peru.
   Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute


3. Dr. Afam Okoye
   Afam Okoye graduated from University of Nigeria, Nsukka with a B.Sc. in Microbiology in 1998. He then went on to Nottingham Trent University, UK, to receive a M.Sc. in Biotechnology in 1999. His Ph.D. was achieved in Virology from the University of Glasgow, Scotland in 2004. Subsequently Afam moved to OHSU’s Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) first as a Postdoctoral fellow and then as a Staff Scientist from 2008-2013. Afam is currently a Research Associate Professor at VGTI.
   Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute


4. Dr. Rebecca Skalsky
   Rebecca Skalsky received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan Technological University in 2002. She completed her Ph.D. in 2007 in Dr. Rolf Renne's laboratory at the University of Florida, characterizing some of the first viral miRNAs encoded by KSHV. Her post-doctoral studies were at Duke University in the laboratory of Dr. Bryan Cullen. Dr. Skalsky was awarded a K99 Career Development Award in 2014 and transferred to OHSU as an Assistant Scientist under the mentorship of Dr. Jay Nelson. She started her laboratory at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute in 2016 and is currently an Assistant Professor.
   Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute