Nicholas Maness

Nicholas Maness, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Tulane University, where he also serves as Director of the Virus Characterization, Isolation, and Production Core (VCIPS). His research focuses on understanding immune mechanisms of viral control using animal models of human pathogens such as HIV, SIV, Zika, and SARS-CoV-2. He holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Colorado State University and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

His laboratory employs molecular and immunological approaches (flow cytometry, RNA-seq, viral sequencing) to study host-virus interactions, viral replication, and immune evasion. The VCIPS core under his direction provides centralized virological services, including live virus handling (BSL-2/3) and next-generation sequencing for Tulane and external collaborators. Key research areas include HIV/SIV pathogenesis, SARS-CoV-2 variants, emerging viruses, and vaccine/therapeutic development.

Maness's work has advanced understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in nonhuman primate models, including long-COVID mechanisms, coinfection dynamics with HIV/SIV, and the role of immune modulators like complement pathways. His contributions span over 80 publications, emphasizing translational research to combat viral diseases.