Source: Interfolio F180


Dennis Burton

Chair
Professor, Department of Immunology & Microbiology; James & Jessie Minor Chair in Immunology
Department of Immunology and Microbiology


 Email

Research Focus

Broadly neutralizing antibodies, viruses and vaccines

Neutralizing antibodies are the mainstay of viral vaccines and their induction through vaccination the best correlate of protection against many viruses. For highly variable viruses such as HIV and influenza virus, the antibodies of interest are those that can neutralize many different circulating viral strains, referred to as broadly neutralizing antibodies. We have pioneered the isolation and characterization of broadly neutralizing antibodies to HIV and more recently against coronaviruses. We have described the protective activities of these antibodies against HIV and used them to define the targets on HIV for vaccine design. Study of the molecular interaction of broadly neutralizing antibodies with the HIV surface envelope glycoprotein has inspired rational approaches to vaccine design, the evaluation of candidate molecules in robust animal models and now their exploration in the clinic. This work is now carried out in large consortia funded by the National Institutes of Health (Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology-Immunogen Design (CHAVI-ID) and then the Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD)) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) Neutralizing Antibody Consortium).


Education

B.A. (Chemistry ), University of Oxford, 1974
Ph.D. (Physical Biochemistry ), Lund University, Sweden, 1978

Other Joint Appointments

The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard
IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute


Professional Experience

2017-present Chairman, Immunology and Microbiology (IMM), Scripps Research
2015-2017 Chairman, Immunology and Microbial Science (IMS), Scripps Research
1991-2015 Professor, Immunology and then Immunology and Microbial Science, Scripps Research
1990-1991 Personal Chair, The University of Sheffield
1989-1991 Visiting Member, Research Institute of Scripps Clinic
1985-1991 Jenner Fellow, Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine
1987-1990 Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry, The University of Sheffield
1981-1987 Lecturer in Biochemistry, The University of Sheffield
1980-1981 Junior Research Fellow, Wolfson College, University of Oxford
1979-1981 Medical Research Council Training Fellowship, University of Oxford


Awards & Professional Activities

1980 Junior Research Fellow, Wolfson College, Oxford
1985 Jenner Fellow, Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine
1995 Merit Award, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
2005 Fellowship, American Academy of Microbiology
2008 Pfizer Visiting Professor in Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University
2009 Merit Award, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
2012 British Medical Association Book of the Year Award for Roitt's Essential Immunology
2012 Bernard Fields Award
2015 Distinguished Lecturer, American Association of Immunology
2018 Jenner Award, Baseley Oration
2022 Top Immunology Scientists, Research.com

Selected Publications

Walker, L. M.; Phogat, S. K.; Chan-Hui, P. Y.; Wagner, D.; Phung, P.; Goss, J. L.; Wrin, T.; Simek, M. D.; Fling, S.; Mitcham, J. L.; Lehrman, J. K.; Priddy, F. H.; Olsen, O. A.; Frey, S. M.; Hammond, P. W.; Kaminsky, S.; Zamb, T.; Moyle, M.; Koff, W. C.; Poignard, P.; Burton, D. R.; Protocol, G. P. Broad and potent neutralizing antibodies from an African donor reveal a new HIV-1 vaccine target. Science 2009, 326, 285-289.
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Walker, L. M.; Huber, M.; Doores, K. J.; Falkowska, E.; Pejchal, R.; Julien, J. P.; Wang, S.; Ramos, A.; Chan-Hui, P. Y.; Moyle, M.; Mitcham, J. L.; Hammond, P. W.; Olsen, O. A.; Phung, P.; Fling, S.; Wong, C.; Phogat, S.; Wrin, T.; Simek, M. D.; Koff, W. C.; Wilson, I. A.; Burton, D. R.; Poignard, P.; Investigators, P. G. Broad neutralization coverage of HIV by multiple highly potent antibodies. Nature 2011, 477, 466-470.
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Briney, B. S.; Inderbitzin, A.; Joyce, C. M.; Burton, D. R. Commonality despite exceptional diversity in the baseline human antibody repertoire. Nature 2019, 566, 393-397.
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Rogers, T. F.; Zhao, F.; Huang, D.; Beutler, N.; Burns, A.; He, W.; Limbo, O.; Smith, C.; Song, G.; Woehl, J. L.; Yang, L.; Abbott, R. K.; Callaghan, S.; Garcia, E.; Hurtado, J.; Parren, M.; Peng, L.; Ramirez, S. I.; Ricketts, J.; Ricciardi, M. J.; Rawlings, S. A.; Wu, N. C.; Yuan, M.; Smith, D. M.; Nemazee, D.; Teijaro, J. R.; Voss, J. E.; Wilson, I. A.; Andrabi, R.; Briney, B.; Landais, E.; Sok, D.; Jardine, J. G.; Burton, D. R. Isolation of potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and protection from disease in a small animal model.. Science 2020, 369, 956-963.
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Burton, D. R. Antiviral neutralizing antibodies: from in vitro to in vivo activity. 2023, 1-15.
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