College of Veterinary Medicine

Education:

PhD, Microbiology (Immunology), The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, 1981

Honors and Awards:

Faculty Achievement Recognition, University of Florida, 2007
Ad hoc grant reviewer, Medical Research Council, UK, 2006
Regular member, AIDS Immunology & Pathogenesis Study Section, NIH, NIAID, 2005-present
Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence, University of Florida, 2005
Ad hoc grant reviewer, Medical Research Council, UK, 2003, 2004
Honorary member, Upsilon Chapter of the Society of Phi Zeta, 2002
The University of Florida Research Foundation Professors Award, 2002
Ad hoc member, Study Section on AIDS K08, NIH, 2002
International Advisory Committee, Intl. Feline Retrovirus Research Symposium, 2000-present
Ad hoc member, AIDS ARR 2 Study Section, NIH, 2000, 2004
Ad hoc member, Vaccine Special Emphasis Panel (VACC 01, 02, 03, 010), NIH, 1998-2005
Ad hoc member, Study Section on Small Business and STTR Grants, NIH, NIMH, 1998
Ad hoc team leader, Primate Research Center Site Visit, NIH, NCRR, 1998
Pfizer Animal Health Award for Research Excellence, University of Florida, 1996
Ad hoc member, Primate Research Center Site Visit, NIH, NCRR, 1996
Ad hoc member, Minority Enhancement Program Study Section, NIH, NIAID, 1995
Ad hoc member, Panel on RFA on Blood Brain Barrier in HIV, NIH, NIMH, 1995
Regular member, AIDS & Immunology Study Section (MHAI2), NIH, NIHM, 1994-1998
Member, Immunology & Microbiology Study Section, American Heart Assoc., 1993-1995

Research Interests:

Our major research interests are to identify cellular immune functions that are essential for T-cell based vaccines, to develop immunotherapeutic drugs for infectious diseases and cancers, and to design computational models for major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-related diseases and therapeutics. Our laboratory has successfully produced semi-inbred cats to evaluate the role that MHC plays in vaccine prophylaxis and immunotherapeutics. Due to close homology between human and feline MHC, the semi-inbred cats are not only useful for veterinary medicine but serve as an excellent small animal model for designing human vaccines and immunotherapeutics. Adoptive-transfer studies with semi-inbred mice are being used to identify the immune cell types and viral epitopes essential for prophylactic protection against emerging and re-emerging viruses (e.g., immunodeficiency viruses, influenza viruses) of humans and cats. Using information derived from these studies, databases are being developed for viral peptides and feline MHC binding pockets in context to the results from efficacy trials. Such databases are the foundation for designing computational models needed to expedite the development of T-cell based vaccines as well as T-helper based antibody vaccines. Furthermore, vaccine approaches based on T-cell immunity when combined with biological mediators can be used as nonprophylactic therapeutics against viral diseases and cancers.

Selected Publications:

For Publications Extracted From Medline Click HERE

Yamamoto, JK, Pu R, Sato E, Hohdatsu T: FIV pathogenesis and development of a dual-subtype FIV vaccine. AIDS. 21:547-563, 2007

Coleman JK, Pu R, Martin M, Sato E, Yamamoto JK: HIV-1 p24 vaccine protects cats against FIV. AIDS. 19:1457-1466, 2005.

Phillips K, Arai M, Tanabe T, Raskin R, Volz M, Uhl EW, Yamamoto JK: FIV-infected cats respond to short-term rHuG-CSF treatment which results in anti-rHuG-CSF neutralizing antibody production that inactivates drug activity. Vet Immunol Immunopath. 108:357-371, 2005.

Omori M, Pu R, Tanabe T, Hou W, Coleman J, Arai M, Yamamoto JK: Cellular immune responses to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) induced by dual-subtype FIV vaccine. Vaccine. 23:386-398, 2004.

Pu R, Coleman J, Omori M, Mison M, Huang C, Arai M, Tanabe T, Yamamoto JK: Dual-subtype FIV vaccine protects cats against in vivo swarms of both homologous and heterologous subtype FIV isolates. AIDS. 15:1-13, 2001.