The mission of the Immunology Laboratory (IML) is to investigate novel aspects of cellular immune responses to pathogens in support of the rational development of a vaccine against HIV and other lethal human viral pathogens.
Richard Koup, M.D.
Deputy Director, Vaccine Research Center
Chief, Immunology Laboratory and Immunology Section
Acting Chief, Humoral Immunology Section
Education:
M.D., 1982, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
M.S., 1979, University of Connecticut, Stamford, CT
B.S., 1978, University of Connecticut, Stamford, CT
Dr. Koup received his B.S. in biophysics in 1978 and his M.S. in biochemistry in 1979 from the University of Connecticut. He attended Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he obtained his M.D. in 1982. Dr. Koup served an internship and residency in internal medicine with the Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, from 1982 to 1985.

David Ambrozak, M.S.
Clinical Research Scientist
Education:
M.S., Medical and Research Technology, University of Maryland at Baltimore
B.S., Medical Technology, University of Texas Medical Branch of Galveston
David Ambrozak works with the Flow Cytometry Core as a flow cytometry specialist and the head of the sorting department. He maintains sorters and performs cell sorts for all of the VRC. He also helps users with panel design and gating strategies to optimally isolate populations of interest. The team sorts a wide range of cell types and from both human and animal samples.
Kristin Boswell, Ph.D.
Staff Scientist
Education:
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
B.S., Virginia Tech University

Lauren Bowman, B.S.
Postbaccalaureate Research Fellow
Education:
B.S., Randolph-Macon College
Lauren Bowman currently works to identify SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes in vaccinated and recovering individuals and establish transgenic T cell lines and in vitro assays to better understand SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells. Her work aims to address how T cells recognize individual epitopes, determine their HLA restriction, and identify T cells that cross-react with other human coronaviruses.
Joseph P. Casazza, M.D., Ph.D.
Staff Clinician
Specialty(s): Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine Provides direct clinical care to patients at NIH Clinical Center
Education:
Ph.D., Biochemistry, Iowa State University
M.D., Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Joana Dias, Ph.D.
Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., Karolinska Institute, Sweden

Christopher Gonelli, Ph.D.
Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., B.S., University of Melbourne, Australia

Prathyusha Kandala, B.S.
Postbaccalaureate Trainee
Education:
B.S., Emory University

Rodrigo Matus-Nicodemos , Ph.D.
Predoctoral Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., 2022, John Hopkins University
B.A., M.S., Rutgers University

Jakob Samsel, Ph.D.
Predoctoral Fellow
Education:
Ph.D., 2022, George Washington University
B.S., University of Tennessee

Cody Stein, B.S.
Postbaccalaureate Trainee
Education:
B.S., University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Cody Stein investigates FC-functions of HIV neutralizing monoclonal antibodies with an emphasis on understanding how enhancing complement activation affects viral control and clearance. He currently utilizes in vitro systems to better understand how antibodies with mutations that enhance complement activation and deposition affect lysis of HIV viral particles and HIV-infected cells.
