As part of Seattle BioMed’s Malaria Program, Joe Smith’s work is focused on the biology of the malaria parasite during the blood stage. The emphasis of his research is to develop blood stage vaccines targeting parasite invasion of erythrocytes and cytoadhesion of infected erythrocytes.
Research
A major area of interest for Smith's lab is to better understand the processes of antigenic variation and cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes. During blood stage development, P. falciparum parasites export cytoadhesive proteins to the surface of infected erythrocytes and sequester them from blood circulation by binding to blood microvessels. This process allows parasites to avoid spleen-dependent killing mechanisms, but it is involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria and placental malaria.
Infected erythrocyte binding is mediated by a large family of clonally variant proteins, called PfEMP1 proteins, which switch expression to evade host immunity and orchestrate parasite binding tropism. We are interested in understanding PfEMP1 protein trafficking to the erythrocyte surface, how this protein family evolves to evade immunity, and in developing interventions to prevent cytoadhesion-based complications of malaria infections.
Another research focus is to design novel vaccine approaches to elicit invasion blocking antibodies that can prevent parasite invasion of erythrocytes.
Themes
- Cytoadherence of infected erythrocytes
- Pregnancy malaria
- Invasion blocking vaccine approaches
Biography
Education
Ph.D. Immunology Washington University in St. Louis
B.A. Biology Macalester College
Professional Experience
- Affiliate Associate Professor, Depts. of Global Health and Pathobiology, University of Washington, 2006-present
- Associate Member, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 2006-present
- Assistant Member, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 2002-2006
- Faculty Member, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, 2000-2002
- Assistant Professor, Colorado State University, 1999-present
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow with Dr. Louis Miller, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, NIAID, NIH, 1994-1999
- Postdoctoral trainee with Dr. Ted Hansen, Washington University in St. Louis, 1989-1994
Honors and Awards
- Member, NIH Study Section: The Pathogenic Eukaryotes, 2009-present
- Associate Editor, Plos Pathogens, 2006-present
- Ellison Medical Foundation New Investigator Award in Global Infectious Diseases, 2001
- National Foundation for Infectious Diseases New Investigator Award, 2000
- Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Medical Scientist Fellow, awarded in recognition of superior achievement in biomedical research, 1993
Field of Study
I first became interested in a career in science from the encouragement of a college instructor. For graduate school, I studied how MHC class I molecules bind peptide antigens and present them to the cellular immune system. This process is fundamental to the recognition and elimination of pathogens and also has medical implications for organ transplantation and rejection.
Following graduate school, I became interested in malaria research and trained at the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. My current work focuses on antigenic variation and cytoadherence in Plasmodium falciparum malaria. These processes enable parasites to evade immunity and cause disease.
Staff
Marion Avril, Staff Scientist
Jay Brazier, Research Associate
Martin Melcher, Postdoctoral Scientist
Sowmya Sampath, Postdoctoral Scientist
