معرفی
Laura Manuelidis is Professor of Surgery (Neuropathology) and Section Chief of Neuropathology at Yale School of Medicine, where she directs the Manuelidis Laboratory focused on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). She holds secondary appointments in Virology and Surgery. Dr. Manuelidis earned her BA from Sarah Lawrence College (1963) and MD from Yale University (1967).
Her research spans neurodegenerative diseases with emphasis on Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and scrapie agents. Key contributions include: discovery of SPHINX DNA elements in mammalian brain cells; characterization of virus-like infectious particles; demonstration of blood-borne transmission routes; and challenge of the protein-only prion hypothesis through evidence of nucleic acid-dependent infectivity. Her current work explores prokaryotic DNA in neurodegeneration and innate immune responses to neuroinvasive agents.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on: 1) Structural characterization of TSE infectious particles, 2) Role of nucleic acids in prion replication, 3) SPHINX DNA in synaptic function, 4) Novel decontamination methods, and 5) Neuronal responses to chronic infection. Her work integrates virology, molecular neurobiology, and proteomics.
Honors include:
- Chromosoma Prize (1989)
- NIH Research Career Development Award (1974)
- Andrew W. Mellon Young Investigator Award (1974)
- Swibelius Award for Cancer Research (1970)
She maintains continuous NIH R01 funding since 1970 and directs Yale's archival neuropathology repository (1951-1996). As FDA TSE advisory committee member, she contributes to blood safety policies. Her laboratory trains international researchers in neuropathological techniques and TSE biosafety protocols.
