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Thursday, January 11, 2024
Alan Rothman, MD: “Risk Factors for Dengue Virus and Disease”
Dengue viruses (DENV) are mosquito-borne viral pathogens of humans with a substantial global health impact. Four DENV serotypes circulate in most areas of the world, and the partial immunologic cross-reactivity between these viruses creates the opportunity for individuals to experience multiple DENV infections over the course of their lifetimes. We have been studying the epidemiological and immunological risk factors that determine the outcome of sequential DENV infections. These studies have revealed complex interactions between different DENV strains and the human host that distinguish protective from pathological responses to infection. The findings from these studies will help guide efforts to develop effective vaccines against dengue.
About the Speaker
Dr. Rothman has been involved in research on immunity and pathogenesis of viral diseases in humans for over 25 years. A major focus of his research has been defining the viro-logical and immunological events in acute dengue virus infection and their relationship to the development of the viral hemorrhagic fever syndrome. Dr. Rothman has long-standing collaborations with colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and internationally in Thailand, Europe, and Latin America. His current studies involve both clinical and basic research studies on pathogenesis and immunity of emerging and re-emerging viral infections. Dr. Rothman has served on advisory committees for the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization.
Dr. Rothman serves as Program Director for the Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Project, an international collaboration involving research in Thailand and the Philippines funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He also has ongoing collaborations with investigators in South America. Laboratory studies at URI examine dengue viral replication, cellular responses to infection, and antibody and T lymphocyte responses to natural dengue virus infection and immunization.