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

Host-microbe multiomic profiling identifies distinct COVID-19 immune dysregulation in solid organ transplant recipients. Harry Pickering, Joanna Schaenman, Hoang Van Phan, Cole Maguire, Alexandra Tsitsiklis, Nadine Rouphael, Nelson Iván Agudelo Higuita, Mark A. Atkinson, Scott Brakenridge, Monica Fung, William Messer, Vicki Seyfert-Margolis, Adeeb Rahman, Kari Wong, Greg Michelotti, Scott R. Hutton, James A. Overton, Crystal Nagle, Judie Sheidy, Pam Schearer, Kristen Ulring, Nathan Mege, Brandon Rogowski, George P. Tegos, Renee McLin, Sara Furukawa, Mathew R. Bell, Nicholas C. Semenza, Brett Croen, Mark Martens, Cecilia M. Smith, Brent Simmons, I. Michael Goonewardene, Kai Nie, Manishkumar Patel, Hui Xie, Daniel Stadlbauer, Giulio Kleiner, Erna Kojic, Deena Altman, Miti Saksena, Lubbertus C.F. Mulder, Geoffrey Kelly, Brian Lee, Jingjing Qi, Ana Silvia Gonzalez-Reiche, Harm Van Bakel, Viviana Simon, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Florian Krammer. Nature Communications

A Surrogate Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay to Select High-Titer Human Convalescent Plasma for Treating Immunocompromised Patients Infected With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants of Concern. Victoria Dolange, Stefan Slamanig, Adam Abdeljawad, Tsoi Ying Lai, Nicholas Lemus, Gagandeep Singh, Juan Manuel Carreño, Anass Abbad, Komal Srivastava, Viviana Simon, Jaiprasath Sachithanandham, Andrew Pekosz, David Sullivan, Florian Krammer, Weina Sun, Peter Palese, Irene González-Domínguez. Journal of Infectious Diseases

XBB.1.5 monovalent vaccine induces lasting cross-reactive responses to SARS-CoV-2 variants such as HV.1 and JN.1, as well as SARS-CoV-1, but elicits limited XBB.1.5 specific antibodies. Juan Manuel Carreño, Brian Lerman, Gagandeep Singh, Anass Abbad, Temima Yellin, Jordan Ehrenhaus, Miriam Fried, Jessica R. Nardulli, Hyun Min Kang, Lubbertus C.F. Mulder, Charles Gleason, Komal Srivastava, Viviana Simon, Florian Krammer, Ashley Aracena, Yuexing Chen, Christian Cognigni, Dylan Fitzgerald, Ana Gonzalez-Reiche, Giulio Kleiner, Neko Lyttle, Jacob D. Mauldin, Jacob Mischka, Brian C. Monahan, Reima Ramsamooj, Emilia Mia Sordillo, Harm van Bakel, Morgan van Kesteren. mBio

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

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