Gerasimos J. Zaharatos
Professor
Department of Medicine
Jewish General Hospital
Canada
Biography
Dr. Zaharatos obtained his MD at McGill University. He then pursued subspeciality training in Internal Medicine at the Montreal General Hospital and in McGill’s Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology Fellowship Program. In 2001, he obtained a CIHR research fellowship award to work with Dr. David Ho at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC) in New York City. While in the Ho lab, he initially worked on developing in vitro models of the kinetics of HIV-1 replication in CD4+ T-cells, as well as on innate mechanisms of defense against HIV, notably the sources and antiviral activity of human alpha-defensin proteins.
Research Interest
Dr. Zaharatos’ research focuses on two major themes. Using DNA vaccines as a flexible platform for vaccine innovation and experimentation, the Zaharatos lab works on rational vector, immunogen, and adjuvant design, including ways of guiding immunogens toward antigen-presentation pathways that enhance B-cell and CD4 T-helper responses. The ultimate goal of this work is to create potent DNA vaccines targeting viral envelope glycoproteins such as HIV-1 gp120 and influenza virus hemagglutinin. The laboratory is also interested in the basic mechanisms underlying DNA vaccine immunogenicity and has an active program centered on deciphering innate immune responses to foreign DNA.
