Laboratory of Viral Diseases

Brenchley Research Group

Barrier Immunity Section, Lab of Viral Diseases, NIAID, DIR.

The focus of the BIS is to understand the mechanisms that underly viral diseases. The work focuses, predominantly, on understanding the differential disease outcomes between natural hosts of immunodeficiency lentiviral infections and progressive infections. Our studies rely heavily on cellular and molecular immunological analyses in tissues.

Barrier Immunity section 2022: Back row (left to right): Jason Brenchley, Senior Investigator, Andrew Rahmberg, Postdoctoral fellow, Jacob Flynn, Graduate student. Middle row (left to right): Alex Ortiz O’sick, Staff Scientist, Kelsie Brooks, Postdoctoral fellow, Jen Simpson, Postdoctoral fellow. Front row (left to right): Fabiola Castello Casta, postbaccalaureate fellow, Debra Yee, biologist.

Barrier Immunity section 2022: Back row (left to right): Jason Brenchley, Senior Investigator, Andrew Rahmberg, Postdoctoral fellow, Jacob Flynn, Graduate student. Middle row (left to right): Alex Ortiz O’sick, Staff Scientist, Kelsie Brooks, Postdoctoral fellow, Jen Simpson, Postdoctoral fellow. Front row (left to right): Fabiola Castello Casta, postbaccalaureate fellow, Debra Yee, biologist.

Credit: NIAID

Jason Brenchley, Ph.D. (He/Him/His)

Senior Investigator, Barrier Immunity Section

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Specialty(s): Pathology, Medical Microbiology

Education:

M.S., 1999, Idaho State University

Ph.D., 2003, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Dr. Brenchley received a master’s degree from Idaho State University in 1999 and received a Ph.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in 2003. He joined NIH as a research fellow, studying immunopathogenesis and mucosal immunology in HIV-infected individuals. Since 2008, he has become an investigator in the Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and has been a senior investigator since 2013.

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Kelsie L. Brooks, Ph.D. (She/Her/Hers)

Postdoctoral Fellow

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Education:

Ph.D., Emory University
B.S., Oklahoma University

I am investigating SARS-CoV-2 infections in human samples and non-human primate models, particularly exploring gastrointestinal pathology and inflammation. Additionally, I have examined impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infections on the gut microbiome.

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Fabiola Marie Castello Casta, B.S. (She/Her/Hers)

Postbaccalaureate Fellow

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Education:

B.S., Universidad de Puerto Rico, Cayey

Languages Spoken: Spanish

As an undergraduate I was able to partake in research that studies the innate immune mechanisms behind vaccine induced protection against cryptococcal meningitis and the role of the immune response in directing diet-induced liver disease. Currently, as a postbaccalaureate fellow in Dr. Brenchley’s lab I aim to understand how the composition of the microbiome relates to progressive SIV infection of...

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Jacob Flynn, B.S. (He/Him/His)

Ph.D. Graduate Student

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Education:

B.S., Cornell University

My research aims to understand bacterial-mediated mechanisms underlying microbial translocation in progressively SIV-infected Asian macaques. We’ve found that the bacteria that translocate are a subset of the total bacterial microbiome, and that these translocating taxa have unique functional properties that can be chemically inhibited.

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Alexandra M. Ortiz O’Sick, Ph.D. (She/Her/Hers)

Staff Scientist

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Education:

Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

BA, University of Virginia

Languages Spoken: Spanish

My research is focused on investigating the intersection between the microbiome, immunity, and disease in non-human primate models and hosts of SIV for the purposes of understanding disease mechanisms in people living with HIV.

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Andrew Rahmberg, Ph.D. (He/Him/His)

Postdoctoral Fellow

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Education:

Ph.D., Harvard University
B.S., Boston University

My work explores the mechanisms by which natural hosts for SIV have co-evolved with SIV to avoid disease progression.

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Jennifer Simpson, Ph.D. (She/Her/Hers)

Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Education:

Ph.D., University of Queensland, Australia
B.S., University of Queensland, Australia

My research focus is evaluating the physiological role and clonotypic structure of antigen specific CD8+ T cells in multiple anatomical sites during SIV infection in nonhuman primates.

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Debra Yee, B.S. (She/Her/Hers)

Biologist

Contact: For contact information, search the NIH Enterprise Directory.

Education:

B.S., University of Maryland

I am exploring the pathogenesis of emerging viral infections in old world nonhuman primates. These studies will determine the appropriateness of NHPs as a model of human viral infections which will help in the development of antiviral and vaccine development for emerging RNA viral infections.

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Former Research Group Members

Charlotte Langner, BS (2019-2021, post-bac), currently Ph.D. student UC Berkeley

JC Mudd, Ph.D. (2014-2020, post-doc), currently assistant professor Tulane University

Stephen Lai, BS (2016-2019, post-bac), currently medical student California Northstate University

Carly Starke, BS (2015-2019, Ph.D. student), currently post-doc Fred Hutch

Sarah DiNapoli, BS (2014-2016, post-bac), currently MSTP student Johns Hopkins University

Zachary Klase, Ph.D. (2012-2014, post-doc), currently Associate professor Drexel University

Molly Perkins, D.Phil. (2011-2014, post-doc), currently Associate director, Bluebird Bio

Nina Calantone, BS (2012-2014, post-bac), currently MSTP student Northwestern University

Nichole Klatt, Ph.D. (2009-2012, post-doc), currently Professor University of Minnesota

Lauren Canary, BS (2010-2012, post-bac), currently Epidemiologist Centers for Disease Control

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