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

Mutation T9I in Envelope confers autophagy resistance to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron. Susanne Klute, Rayhane Nchioua, Arne Cordsmeier, Jyoti Vishwakarma, Lennart Koepke, Hala Alshammary, Christoph Jung, Maximilian Hirschenberger, Helene Hoenigsperger, Jana Romana Fischer, Rinu Sivarajan, Fabian Zech, Steffen Stenger, Ruth Serra-Moreno, Ana Silvia Gonzalez-Reiche, Emilia Mia Sordillo, Harm van Bakel, Viviana Simon, Frank Kirchhoff, Timo Jacob, Dorota Kmiec, Andreas Pichlmair, Armin Ensser, Konstantin Maria Johannes Sparrer. iScience

High-affinity CD16A polymorphism associated with reduced risk of severe COVID-19. Anita E. Qualls, Tasha Tsao, Irene Lui, Shion A. Lim, Yapeng Su, Ernie Chen, Dylan Duchen, Holden T. Maecker, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Ruth R. Montgomery, Florian Krammer, Charles R. Langelier, Ofer Levy, Lindsey R. Baden, Esther Melamed, Lauren I.R. Ehrlich, Grace A. McComsey, Rafick P. Sekaly, Charles B. Cairns, Elias K. Haddad, Albert C. Shaw, David A. Hafler, 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, Monica Kraft, Christian Bime, Carolyn S. Calfee, David J. Erle, Joanna Schaenmann, Al Ozonoff, Bjoern Peters, Steven H. Kleinstein, Alison D. Augustine, Joann Diray-Arce, Patrice M. Becker, Nadine Rouphael, Jason D. Goldman, Daniel R. Calabrese, James R. Heath. JCI insight

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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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