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Virology & Mycology

Virology & Mycology
Open Access

ISSN: 2161-0517

+44 1223 790975

Luis Martinez-Sobrido

Luis Martinez-Sobrido

Luis Martinez-Sobrido
Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Dentistry
University of Rochester,

Biography

Dr. Luis Martinez-Sobrido is assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at University of Rochester Medical Center. He is also a principal investigator of the University of Rochester Center for Biodefense Immune Modeling (CBIM) and collaborator in the New York Influenza Center of Excellence (NYICE), one of six NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS). Dr. Martinez-Sobrido received his Ph.D. at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in 2000. After graduation, Dr. Martinez-Sobrido did his post-doctoral training at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City (2000-2008) before moving to Rochester. In addition, he is member of the Editorial Board of Viruses and Journal of Virology; Ad hoc reviewer for PNAS, Vaccine, PLoS Pathogens, PLoS ONE, and several other journals in the field of virology; and an external reviewer on several grant panels. He has authored more than 40 research articles and 60 presentations at national and international meetings. Dr. Martinez-Sobrido is a member of the American Society for Virology (ASV), American Society for Microbiology (ASM), and the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research (ISICR). His current research interest focuses on the molecular biology, immunology and pathogenesis of influenza and arenaviruses.

Research Interest

My research interest for the last decade has been focused on the molecular biology, immunology, and the pathogenesis of negative-strand RNA viruses (Influenza A and B viruses, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human Metapneumovirus, arenavirus, Thogotovirus, Ebola virus, Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus), positive-strand RNAviruses (Dengue virus, SARS coronavirus, Mouse Hepatitis virus); and DNA viruses (Vaccinia virus). I have extensive knowledge in the reverse genetics techniques for rescuing RNA and DNA viruses, pioneered the development of techniques and screening assays to identify viral-encoded interferon antagonist proteins, and established new molecular biology techniques to study highly pathogenic viruses, without the requirement of special biosafety conditions. My major contributions to the infectious diseases field, illustrated by more than 40 publications, include the development of new experimental systems to answer difficult questions in the mechanisms of virus-host interactions, including (among others):
1) Reverse genetics tools to genetically manipulate viruses, that I have used to examine virus-host interactions and development of vaccines.
2) Plasmid, virus and cellular based assays for the identification of virus-encoded IFN-antagonist proteins that I have used to undercover molecular mechanisms involved in viral pathogenesis, including the first description of an IFN antagonist protein in the arenavirus family and the multiple anti-IFN actions of influenza virus NS1.
3) Replication-deficient viruses to study highly pathogenic viruses, without the requirement of special biosafety conditions, for applications of safe vaccine development and discovery of new antivirals. Since my recent tenure-track appointment at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at University of Rochester–one of the 5 NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS) my research has focused on the interactions of influenza and arenavirus proteins with the host cell. We wish to uncover the molecular mechanisms associated with pathogenesis of these virus families and to design molecular tools that will allow us to discover novel cellular and viral targets to treat these viral infections in humans.

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