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Joseph B. McCormick, M.D., M.S. 1971, Duke University The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston My laboratory is located in Brownsville, Texas, at the Regional Campus of the School of Public Health.
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Research Interests:
My research includes laboratory and human aspects of tuberculosis, particularly early infection. We are aiming to understand the early immunological events (particularly innate immune response events) in early infection. We are also looking at immunologic measures in individuals with diabetes to determine why they are more susceptible to tuberculosis. We are also developing an early diagnostic assay for TB DNA using QPCR.
Our laboratory has developed an approach to HIV vaccine using novel chemistry that conjugates a small carrier protein to the HIV envelop glycoprotein inducing a unique type of antibody to the envelop protein. We will be investigating this further at the basic chemistry level as well as in animal models.
Finally, working with colleagues in Houston, we are looking at molecular markers of risk for cervical cancer in women infected with human papilloma virus. These include integration events as well as other molecular events as measured by QPCR on self administered vaginal swabs. Our ultimate goal is to develop an HPV vaccine site for the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Northern Mexico.
We are interested in using our existing study population to look at genetic susceptibility to infection and to disease.
Depending on the interest of the student, they may become involved in any of the laboratory aspects of the studies described above, ranging from studies of immune response in early TB, to molecular diagnosis of TB infection, to working on the HIV vaccine to the work on HPV infection. All of these projects will allow students to see both the laboratory side as well as the human population side of translational research.
Publications
Program Affiliation:
Program in Virology and Gene Therapy