Gustavo Delhon

Gustavo Delhon serves as Director in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he leads research on viral pathogenesis of large DNA viruses affecting domestic animals. His work bridges veterinary medicine and virology with significant implications for zoonotic disease control.

His primary research focuses on Orf virus (ORFV)—a Parapoxvirus causing mucocutaneous infections in sheep/goats with zoonotic potential—and African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV). Delhon's ORFV research has identified 15 novel viral genes, characterized NF-κB inhibitors, and explored ORFV's potential as a vaccine vector through epigenetic reprogramming studies. For ASFV, his collaborative work revealed CD2v and C-type lectin proteins as critical protective antigens, identified T-cell epitopes, and demonstrated CD2v's role in lymphocyte apoptosis during infection.

Delhon's laboratory utilizes recombinant virus mutants, molecular biology tools, and in vivo models (sheep for ORFV, swine for ASFV) to dissect host-pathogen interactions. His findings directly inform the development of safer immunomodulators and ASFV vaccines amid ongoing global outbreaks.

Education:

• DVM, University of Buenos Aires (1980)
• Research Fellowship, National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, Buenos Aires (1981)
• MSc in Virology/Veterinary Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1990)
• PhD in Virology/Veterinary Science, University of Nebraska Medical Center (1996)
• MSc, University of Buenos Aires (1998)

His research program addresses critical gaps in veterinary virology, particularly the lack of ASFV vaccines despite 100+ years of known disease threat, through mechanistic studies of viral immunomodulation and protective immunity.