The research in the Barratt-Boyes lab is focused on the immunology and prevention of infectious diseases of importance to global human health. We use animal models and tissue explants to address questions in three specific diseases: influenza, dengue, and COVID-19.
Prevention and therapy of severe influenza in a nonhuman primate model: We have developed the first reproducible model of severe influenza in macaques using highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses delivered as small particle aerosols, in collaboration with Doug Reed, PhD, of the Center for Vaccine Research. This work is possible because of the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, a specialized BSL-3 and ABSL-3 facility. Using this translational model we are working with collaborators at other institutions to test candidate universal influenza vaccines and broadly neutralizing anitbodies to prevent and/or treat severe avian influenza in humans in the event of an influenza pandemic.
Dengue virus infection in human skin: Dengue virus is transmitted into skin via the bites of infected mosquitoes, but we do not know how the mosquito interacts with the virus and host to effect transmission and spread within the body. To study this in a relevant translational model we inoculate healthy human skin explants that have been removed from anonymous donors during elective plastic surgery. Using this model, we are exploring the effects of genetic ancestry on dengue virus infection and are collaborating with vector biologists at the University of Texas Medical Branch to study mosquito transmission.
SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunology: Since the earliest stages of the COVID-19 pandemic we worked with others in the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory to study human immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and explore mechanisms of prevention using antibodies and small molecule approaches.
1984 | Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand | Bachelor of Veterinary Science
1993 | University of California, Davis | PhD
1996 | University of Pittsburgh | Postdoc
Co-Director | IDM 2003 | Host Response to Microbial Infection
Castanha PMS, Duangkhae D, Erdos G, Watkins SC, Falo LD, Marques ETA, Barratt-Boyes SM (2020). Reciprocal immune enhancement of dengue and Zika virus infection in human skin. JCI Insight; 5: e133653. PMCID: PMC7098780
Corry J, Kettenberg G, Upadhyay AA, Wallace M, Marti MM, Wonderlich ER, Bissel SJ, Goss K, Sturgeon TJ, Watkins SC, Reed DS, Bosinger SE, Barratt-Boyes SM (2022). Infiltration of inflammatory macrophages and neutrophils and widespread pyroptosis in lung drive influenza lethality in nonhuman primates. PLoS Pathogens; 18: e1010395. PMCID: PMC8939778
Castanha PMS, Tuttle DJ, Kitsios GD, Jacobs JL, Brago-Neto U, Duespohl M, Rathod S, Marti MM, Wheeler S, Naqvi A, Staines B, Mellors J, Morris A, McVerry BJ, Shah F, Schaefer C, Macatangay BJC, Methe B, Fernandez CA, Barratt-Boyes SM, Burke DS, Marques ETA (2022). Contribution of coronavirus-specific immunoglobulin G responses to complement overactivation in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019. J Infect Dis; 226: 766-777. PMCID: PMC8992249
Chen C, Saville JW, Marti MM, Schafer A, Cheng MH, Mannar D, Berezuk AM, Banerjee A, Sobolewski MD, Kim A, Treat BR, Castanha PMS, Enick N, McCormick KD, Liu X, Adams C, Hines MG, Sun Z, Chen W, Jacobs JL, Barratt-Boyes SM, Mellors JW, Baric RS, Bahar I, Dimitrov DS, Subramaniam S, Martinex DR, Li W (2022). Potent and broad neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) including omicron sub-lineages BA.1 and BA.2 by biparatopic human VH domains. iScience; 25: 104798. PMCID: PMC9296321
Upadhyay AA, Viox EG, Hoang TN, Boddapati AK, Pino M, Lee MY, Corry J, Strongin Z, Cowan DA, Beagle EN, Horton TR, Hamilton S, Aoued H, Harper JL, Edwards CT, Nguyen K, Pellegrini KL, Tharp GK, Piantadosi A, Levit RD, Amara RR, Barratt-Boyes SM, Ribeiro SP, Sekaly RP, Vanderford TH, Schinazi RF, Paiardini M, Bosinger SE. (2023). TREM2+ and interstitial-like macrophages orchestrate airway inflammation in SARS-CoV-2 infection in rhesus macaques. Nat Comm; 14(1): 1914. PMCID: PMC10078029
Kanekiyo M, Gillespie RA, Midgett M, O’Malley KJ, Williams C, Moin SM, Wallace M, Treaster L, Cooper K, Syeda HZ, Kettenburg G, Rannulu H, Schmer T, Ortiz L, Castanha PMS, Corry J, Xia M, Olsen E, Perez D, Yun G, Graham BS, Barratt-Boyes SM, Reed DS. (2023). Refined semi-lethal aerosol H5N1 influenza model in cynomolgus macaques for evaluation of medical countermeasures. iScience; 26: 107830. PMCID: PMC10520834
