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Dr. Marc-André Langlois is a Full Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Medicine. He serves as Executive Director of the national Coronavirus Variants Rapid Response Network (CoVaRR-Net) and holds the Faculty of Medicine Chair of Excellence in Pandemic Viruses and Preparedness Research. An expert in molecular virology and intrinsic immunity, his work bridges retrovirology (e.g., HIV) and respiratory virus research (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, influenza), with a focus on host-virus interactions. Executive Director, CoVaRR-Net Faculty of Medicine Chair of Excellence, Pandemic Viruses Canada Research Chair in Molecular Virology and Intrinsic Immunity Member, Royal Society of Canada (College) Research interests center on: Host Intrinsic Immunity: Mechanisms of APOBEC3 proteins in restricting retroviruses like HIV Viral Latency: Role of APOBEC3 mutagenesis in HIV persistence Respiratory Virus Serology: High-throughput antibody assays for SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal coronaviruses Mucosal Immunity: Systemic and mucosal responses to vaccines, including intranasal candidates Recent publications highlight expertise in: Immune imprinting in antigenic variation Cross-neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 via seasonal coronavirus antibodies HIV integration site profiling by APOBEC3 enzymes Development of scalable serology platforms Mucosal vaccine characterization Scientific awards include: Canada Research Chair in Molecular Virology and Intrinsic Immunity Faculty of Medicine Chair of Excellence Member, Royal Society of Canada (College) His Serology and Diagnostics High Throughput Facility executed over 2 million assays during the pandemic, supporting 40+ national studies including Statistics Canada's seroprevalence surveys. Research informs federal decision-making through Health Canada and CIHR collaborations.

• Molecular Virology
• Intrinsic Immunity
• Retrovirology
• +7 more

Éric A. Cohen is a Full Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, and Director of the Human Retrovirology Research Unit at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM). He also serves as Vice-Dean of Faculty Affairs and Academic Development at the Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Cohen is recipient of the Université de Montréal – IRCM Chair of Excellence in HIV Research and leads the Canadian HIV Cure Research Consortium (CanCURE). Dr. Cohen earned his B.Sc. in Biochemistry from McGill University in 1981 and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Montreal in 1987. He completed postdoctoral training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School under William A. Haseltine, where he discovered the HIV-1 accessory proteins Vpr and Vpu. His research focuses on understanding HIV-host interactions that govern viral replication, persistence, and transmission. Dr. Cohen's laboratory investigates the functional role of accessory proteins Vpr, Vpu, and Nef in HIV-1 infection and pathogenesis, using human cell lines, primary human immune cells, biological material from HIV-infected individuals, and humanized mouse models. His work has significantly contributed to understanding how Vpu counteracts BST2 (Tetherin), an interferon-regulated host factor that inhibits HIV release. Analysis of Dr. Cohen's recent publications reveals a strong focus on HIV persistence mechanisms, particularly in myeloid cells and tissue reservoirs. His research increasingly integrates SARS-CoV-2 studies, examining viral entry mechanisms and host immune responses. There's a notable emphasis on microRNA regulation of HIV infection, viral reservoir characterization, and development of strategies for HIV cure. Marcel-Piché prize (2012) Pierre-Bois prize (2014) Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2016) Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2016) Canada Research Chair in Human Retrovirology Université de Montréal – IRCM Chair of Excellence in HIV Research Dr. Cohen has secured substantial funding for HIV cure research, including multiple CIHR grants totaling over $10 million. He has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who now lead independent research careers. As Director of CanCURE, he coordinates a pan-Canadian research network focused on developing strategies for HIV cure, with particular emphasis on myeloid cell reservoirs. His laboratory at the IRCM includes senior researchers, associate researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and doctoral students working collaboratively on various aspects of HIV-host interactions. The team utilizes advanced techniques including humanized mouse models, primary cell cultures, and molecular virology approaches to study HIV persistence mechanisms and develop therapeutic interventions.

• Virology
• Molecular Biology
• HIV Research
• +3 more

Dr. Linda Chelico is a Professor and Department Head of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Medicine. Her research focuses on APOBEC cytosine deaminases, studying their roles in HIV restriction and cancer mutagenesis. She leads a lab investigating how these enzymes interact with retroviruses like HIV-1, their mechanisms of DNA deamination, and their unintended oncogenic consequences. Her work bridges virology, biochemistry, and cancer biology, with recent grants exceeding $1.6M from CIHR and NSERC. Education: PhD in Applied Microbiology (USask), postdoctoral training at University of Southern California (USC). Key areas include HIV restriction factors, DNA deaminases, enzyme mechanisms, and mutagenesis. She explores APOBEC interactions with viral proteins (e.g., HIV-1 Vif) and cellular DNA repair pathways, while also examining their role in cancer via mutagenic activity in genomic regions. Research highlights include identifying APOBEC3's dual role as a virus suppressor and cancer mutagen, studying enzyme competition with DNA-binding proteins like RPA, and developing assays to measure deamination activity. Her team's work on HIV-1 transmitted/founder viruses and APOBEC3's structural basis (via SAXS) underscores her interdisciplinary approach. Grants: Over $1.6M from CIHR (2019–2024) for projects on APOBEC3's HIV restriction and cancer links. Collaborations include structural biology (e.g., with Dr. Chen XS on APOBEC3G structure) and proteomic mapping (Krogan lab). Labs focus on biochemical assays, mouse xenograft models, and cross-disciplinary techniques. Publications (2024–2021) emphasize APOBEC3F/G interactions, enzyme purification, and their roles in SIV transmission and bladder cancer mutagenesis. Her work is published in Journal of Virology , Molecular and Cellular Proteomics , and Nature Communications .

• HIV Restriction Factors
• DNA Deaminases
• Mutagenesis
• +3 more

Uladzimir Karniychuk is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology at Ohio State University and leads Zika virus research at VIDO-Intervac (University of Saskatchewan). He holds a DVM from Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine (2005) and a PhD in Veterinary Medicine from Ghent University (2012), focusing on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) pathogenesis. His research spans emerging infectious diseases, viral host interactions, and vaccine development using animal models. Key areas include: Design and validation of humanized mouse and ferret models for HIV-1 and influenza Mechanisms of Zika virus infection in utero and fetal outcomes Development of CpG-recoded Zika virus vaccine candidates Pathogen persistence in reproductive tissues Publications highlight innovative strategies in viral attenuation, molecular footprints of persistent infections, and cross-species transmission dynamics. His work bridges basic virology with translational applications in veterinary and human medicine.

• Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases
• Viral Pathogenesis
• Animal Models of Viral Diseases
• +3 more

Ryan Troyer is an Assistant Professor at Western University, focusing on molecular and cellular virology. His research investigates viral evolution, host-pathogen interactions, and strategies to combat viral diseases. He holds a PhD from the University of Washington and completed postdoctoral training at Case Western Reserve University. His lab develops models for studying retroviruses and herpesviruses, with collaborative projects on HIV and animal virus discovery. He has published extensively on gammaherpesviruses, viral immunity, and zoonotic diseases. Education: PhD: University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA (Virology) Postdoc: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA Research Interests: Retroviruses Herpesviruses Zoonotic and emerging viruses Viral genetic diversity Animal models for viral disease Virus/host molecular interactions Grants and Collaborations: Collaborative projects on HIV, human herpesviruses, and animal virus discovery Development of VSV-based vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 Labs/Teams: Troyer Lab at Western University

• Retroviruses
• Herpesviruses
• Zoonotic and emerging viruses
• +5 more

Alexis Dennis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at McGill University, specializing in population health science with cross-training in public health. She holds a PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2022) and an MPH (2014) from the same institution. Her research focuses on structural and social stratification processes that generate health inequalities across racial/ethnic groups, particularly examining how material resources and racism differentially impact health outcomes. She is also committed to refining theoretical frameworks and measurement tools to better capture racial/ethnic disparities in quantitative health research. Her current research explores mechanisms behind non-white populations' inconsistent health benefits from socioeconomic resources compared to whites, including a project analyzing early-life socioeconomic access and midlife depression disparities. She also examines the role of racism in restricting health opportunities. Dr. Dennis has secured grants such as the 2024-2027 FRQSC grant on structural racial inequality in Canadian well-being ($44,948 CAD) and contributed as a co-investigator to the Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives initiative ($100,000 CAD). Education: PhD in Sociology, UNC Chapel Hill (2022) MPH, UNC Chapel Hill (2014) Her teaching includes undergraduate courses on the Sociology of Mental Disorder (SOCI 310) and Medicine and Health in Modern Society (SOCI 225). Dr. Dennis’ work bridges sociology, epidemiology, and public health, with over 30 peer-reviewed publications addressing topics like racial disparities in biological aging, HIV care engagement, and structural racism frameworks.

• Population Health
• Medical Sociology
• Race and Racism
• +3 more

Chen Liang is a Professor and Associate Investigator at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), specifically within the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program. He is based at the Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, where he leads research focused on host-virus interactions and antiviral therapeutics development. Dr. Liang's research primarily investigates host innate immune responses to viral infections, with particular emphasis on HIV and SARS-CoV-2. His laboratory explores how host cells produce antiviral interferons in response to viral infections and how these highly pathogenic viruses overcome and evade this first line of host defense. His work spans multiple areas including viral pathogenesis mechanisms, molecular mechanisms of viral assembly and production, and development of antiviral therapeutics including small molecules and RNA medicine. Notably, his lab has pioneered the application of CRISPR gene editing technology in curing HIV infection. Analysis of Dr. Liang's recent publications reveals a consistent research trajectory focused on viral immune evasion strategies, host restriction factors, and antiviral development. His work spans multiple viral systems including HIV, SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and other emerging pathogens, with particular emphasis on interferon responses, viral assembly mechanisms, and novel diagnostic approaches. His research integrates molecular virology, immunology, and translational approaches to address fundamental questions in viral pathogenesis and therapeutic development. Dr. Liang is actively accepting graduate students and maintains a productive research program with numerous publications spanning from 2013 to the present. His laboratory appears to be well-funded based on the volume and diversity of research outputs, with particular emphasis on understanding viral mechanisms of immune evasion and developing novel antiviral strategies targeting HIV and emerging coronaviruses.

• Virology
• Immunology
• Infectious Diseases
• +6 more