Frank Chisari, M.D.

Scripps Research Joint Appointments

Professor, Department of Immunology and Microbial Science
Faculty, Kellogg School of Science and Technology

Research Focus

Immunobiology and Pathogenesis of
Hepatitis B and C Virus Infection

The outcome of noncytolytic viral infections is largely determined by the cellular immune response. Our laboratory focusses on the host-virus interactions that determine the outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Using a combination of real time viral dynamics and quantitative functional T cell analysis, we have demonstrated a direct relationship between viral clearance and the vigor, kinetics and homing potential of the antiviral T cell response to HBV and HCV, the rate with which they spread after inoculation and their ability to escape immune recognition. In addition, we have shown that there is a third effector limb in the immune response besides antibody neutralization and T cell-mediated destruction of infected cells: i.e. T cells also secrete antiviral cytokines that can purge viruses from infected cells without killing them. Currently we are applying genome-wide expression profiling to define the intracellular antiviral effector pathways that are triggered by these cytokines; biochemical, biophysical and molecular approaches to identify the points in the life cycles of these viruses that are targeted by these antiviral cytokines; and molecular immunological strategies to determine the mechanisms deployed by the viruses to defeat their antiviral effects.

Education

M.D., Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, 1968
A.B., Biology, Fordham University, New York, New York, 1963

Professional Experience

Training -
Anatomic Pathology: Fellow, Cornell University Medical College, New York 1966-1967; Fellow, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 1969-1970.
Internal Medicine: Intern, The New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center,New York, New York 1968-1969. Resident, Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire 1972-1973.
Immunopathology: Staff Associate, Laboratory of Pathology, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 1970-72 Research Fellow, Department of Experimental Pathology, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, California  1973-1975.
Molecular Biology: Fogarty Scholar, Unite de Recombinaison et Expression Genetique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France  1983-1984.
Employment -
1975-1981:  Assistant Professor, Departments of Molecular Immunology and Clinical Research, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, California
1981 - 1988: Associate Professor, Department of Basic and Clinical Research, Research Institute of Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California
1989-2004: Director, General Clinical Research Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
1988-2008: Professor and Head, Division of Experimental Pathology, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
2008-Present: Professor and Head, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California

Awards & Professional Activities

NIH MERIT Award, 1990-2000, Member, Association of American Physicians, 1992, Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1996-present, Ernst Jung Prize in Medicine ,1997, Rous-Whipple Award, American Society for Investigative Pathology, 1999, Distinguished Advisory Committee, UCSD Cancer Center, 2000-present Review Panel, Int'l Research Scholars Program, Howard Hughes Med. Inst., 2000-present Scientific Advisory Board, Center for the Study of HCV, Rockefeller Univ., 2000-present Board of Scientific Councilors, NIAID, NIH, 2001 Blue Ribbon Panel on Bioterrorism Research, NIAID, NIH, 2002 Expert Panel on Immunity and Biodefense, NIAID, NIH, 2002 Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology, 2002 Member, National Academy of Sciences, 2002 Member, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, 2003 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Weill-Cornell University Medical College, 2004, ISI Highly Cited Researcher, 2006-present.

Selected References

                          SELECTED PUBLICATIONS SINCE 2005

Links

Chisari bibliography

Chisari patents