Viviana A Simon, MD, PhD
img_Viviana A Simon
PROFESSOR | Microbiology
PROFESSOR | Pathology, Molecular and Cell Based Medicine
PROFESSOR | Medicine, Infectious Diseases
Multi-Disciplinary Training Area
Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutics (DMT), Microbiology [MIC]

Specific Clinical/Research Interest:
HIV pathogenesis and host-virus interactions
Current Students: Mawuena Binka, Susan Majdak
Postdoctoral Fellows: Marcel Ooms
Research Personnel: Ariana Harari

Summary of Research Studies:
My research focuses on HIV-1 pathogenesis and viral host interactions. Complex organisms evolved both innate and adaptive immune defenses to prevent viral infection and/or dissemination. Recently,it became apparent that a group of constitutively expressed genes can efficiently restrict replication of endogenous and exogenous viruses in a species specific manner. Host cells use DNA/RNA editing enzymes as ways to curb invasion from viruses. For example, human APOBEC3G (APOlipoprotein B Editing Complex 3G) has been shown to be active against exogenous retroviruses (HIV-1, HIV-2, Foamy), endogenous mobile genetic elements (e.g., LTR retrotransposons) and DNA viruses (e.g., Hepatitis B). One of the mode of action of cytidine deaminases is one of extensive mutagenesis. The HIV-1 gene Vif effectively counters the antiretroviral activity of APOBEC3G by inducing its degradation. The nucleotide composition of the HIV-1 genome suggests, however, that protection from host-mediated viral cDNA deamination may not be absolute. We have shown that Vif alleles that fail to degrade APOBEC3G, APOBEC3F or both can be detected in vivo. We speculate that intrinsic restriction mediated by cytidine deaminases contributes to HIV-1 sequence diversification.



Residency, Auguste Viktoria Hospital

The Rockefeller University

The Rockefeller University

MD, Humboldt University

PhD, University of Rostock

2008

Sinsheimer Scholar (Alexandrine and Alexander L. Sinsheimer Fund)

Publications

Selected Publications

Bat-borne H9N2 influenza virus evades MxA restriction and exhibits efficient replication and transmission in ferrets. Nico Joel Halwe, Lea Hamberger, Julia Sehl-Ewert, Christin Mache, Jacob Schön, Lorenz Ulrich, Sten Calvelage, Mario Tönnies, Jonas Fuchs, Pooja Bandawane, Madhumathi Loganathan, Anass Abbad, Juan Manuel Carreño, Maria C. Bermúdez-González, Viviana Simon, Ahmed Kandeil, Rabeh El-Shesheny, Mohamed A. Ali, Ghazi Kayali, Matthias Budt, Stefan Hippenstiel, Andreas C. Hocke, Florian Krammer, Thorsten Wolff, Martin Schwemmle, Kevin Ciminski, Donata Hoffmann, Martin Beer. Nature Communications

Features of acute COVID-19 associated with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 phenotypes: results from the IMPACC study. Al Ozonoff, Naresh Doni Jayavelu, Shanshan Liu, Esther Melamed, Carly E. Milliren, Jingjing Qi, Linda N. Geng, Grace A. McComsey, Charles B. Cairns, Lindsey R. Baden, Joanna Schaenman, Albert C. Shaw, Hady Samaha, Vicki Seyfert-Margolis, Florian Krammer, Lindsey B. Rosen, Hanno Steen, Caitlin Syphurs, Ravi Dandekar, Casey P. Shannon, Rafick P. Sekaly, Lauren I.R. Ehrlich, David B. Corry, Farrah Kheradmand, Mark A. Atkinson, Scott C. Brakenridge, Nelson I. Agudelo Higuita, Jordan P. Metcalf, Catherine L. Hough, William B. Messer, Bali Pulendran, Kari C. Nadeau, Mark M. Davis, Ana Fernandez Sesma, Viviana Simon, Harm van Bakel, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Brian Lee, Erna Kojic, Adeeb Rahman, Daniel Stadlbauer, Ana Silvia Gonzalez-Reiche, Hui Xie, Geoffrey Kelly, Manishkumar Patel, Kai Nie, Miti Saksena, Deena Altman, Lubbertus C.F. Mulder, Giulio Kleiner. Nature Communications

IgM N-glycosylation correlates with COVID-19 severity and rate of complement deposition. Benjamin S. Haslund-Gourley, Kyra Woloszczuk, Jintong Hou, Jennifer Connors, Gina Cusimano, Mathew Bell, Bhavani Taramangalam, Slim Fourati, Nathan Mege, Mariana Bernui, Matthew C. Altman, Florian Krammer, Harm van Bakel, Holden T. Maecker, Nadine Rouphael, Joann Diray-Arce, Brian Wigdah, Michele A. Kutzler, Charles B. Cairns, Elias K. Haddad, Mary Ann Comunale, Al Ozonoff, Lauren I.R. Ehrlich, Esther Melamed, Ana Fernandez Sesma, Viviana Simon, Bali Pulendran, Kari C. Nadeau, Mark M. Davis, Grace A. McCoey, Rafick Sekaly, Lindsey R. Baden, Ofer Levy, Joanna Schaenman, Elaine F. Reed, Jingjing Qi, Brian Lee, Erna Kojic, Adeeb Rahman, Daniel Stadlbauer, Hui Xie, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Ana Silvia Gonzalez-Reiche, Geoffrey Kelly, Manishkumar Patel, Kai Nie, Miti Saksena, Deena Altman, Lubbertus C.F. Mulder, Giulio Kleiner. Nature Communications

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Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.

Dr. Simon has not yet completed reporting of Industry relationships.

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