Diane McMahon-Pratt, Ph.D.
Professor
Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
The research in Professor McMahon-Pratt's laboratory is concerned with the parasitic protozoan, Leishmania, which causes a spectrum of diseases known as leishmaniasis. The laboratory is interested in understanding the immune effector mechanisms in the mammalian host that are involved in the control of infection and/or pathogenesis, with the aim to developing a vaccine against leishmaniasis. The laboratory has defined target vaccine candidate molecules and is collaborating with the University of Iowa and Cambridge University in a project directed toward the development of a multi-subunit vaccine. In other studies, the laboratory also collaborates with scientists in Brazil and Colombia. Currently, Professor McMahon-Pratt is director of a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored International Collaborating Infectious Disease Research Center (ICIDR) Program with Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM) in Colombia. This program is focused on understanding the pathology and epidemiology of leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia), which predominates in South America. The objectives of the ICIDR program are to develop methods of intervention.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Ph.D., Harvard University, 1978
M.A. in Chemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara, 1971
Awards and Honors
Councilor, American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1993-1997
Burroughs-Welccome Lecturer, NIH Laboratory of Parasitic Diseasea, 1994
Organizer, Gordon Conference on Biological Aspects of Parasitism, 1993
Bailey K. Ashford Medal, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 1993
Professional Services
Editorial Board Member, American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 1999-present
Member, NIH Microbiology and Infectious Disease Research Study Section, 2000-2004
Howard Hughes International Infectious Disease Program Review Panel, 2000
T.D.R. Review of Leishmaniasis Program, World Health Organization, Geneva, 1992, 2004
Member, NIH Tropical Medicine and Parasitology Study Section, 1988-1992
Courses Taught
EMD/MCDB/MBIO 642a Roles of Microorganisms in the Living World
EMD/MBIO 680a Advanced Topics in Molecular Parasitology
EMD 684b Parasitic Eukaryotes: Molecular and Cellular Processes
Current Research Projects
Differentially Expressed Leishmania Antigens; Molecular Aspects of Vector/Host-Leishmania Interaction, a collaborative effort between CIDEIM and the Universidad de Los Andes; Intervenable Host Leishmania (Viannia) Interactions, an NIH project with CIDEIM; Visceral Leishmaniasis: Vaccine Efficacy Using an Intradermal Challenge Model, a collaborative effort with Fort Dodge Animal Health; and Collaborative Development of a Vaccine against Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis, a collaboration with Professor Mary Wilson of the University of Iowa and Professor Jennie Blackwell of Cambridge University.
Yale Affiliations
BBS Microbiology Program
Member, Liver Center
In the News
$5.4 Million Grant Awarded to Research Epidemiological and Immunological Aspects of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Parasite Study is Funded
Professors Seek Patents for Inventions via Yale’s OCR
Selected Publications
Dondji, B., Perez-Jimenez, E., Goldsmith-Pestana, K., Esteban, M., and McMahon-Pratt, D. Heterologous Prime-boost Vaccination using the LACK Antigen Protects Against Murine Visceral Leishmaniasis. Infection and Immunity 73: 5286-5289, 2005.
McMahon-Pratt, D. and Alexander, J. Does the Leishmania major Paradigm of Pathogenesis and Protection Hold for New World Cutaneous Leishmaniases or the Visceral Disease? Immunological Reviews 201: 206-224, 2004.
Ahmed, S., Colmenares, M., Soong, L., Goldsmith-Pestana, K., Munstermann, L., and McMahon-Pratt, D. Intradermal Infection Model for Pathogenesis and Vaccine Studies of Murine Visceral Leishmaniasis. Infection and Immunity 71: 401-410, 2003.
Colmenares, M., Kima, P.E., Samoff, E., Soong, L., and McMahon-Pratt, D. Perforin and Gamma Interferon are Critical CD8 + T-Cell-Mediated Responses in Vaccine-Induced Immunity Against Leishmania amazonensis Infection. Infection and Immunity 71: 3172-3182, 2003.
Saravia, N.G., Weigle, K., Navas, C., Segura, I., Valderrama, L., Valencia, A.Z., Escorcia, B., and McMahon-Pratt, D. Heterogeneity, Geographic Distribution, and Pathogenicity of Serodemes of Leishmania (Viannia) in Colombia. American Journal of Tropical Medicine Hygiene 66: 738-744, 2002.
For a further list of Dr. McMahon-Pratt’s publications, please see PubMed. |
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