Alexandre Rodrigues Calazans

I started my training at the Laboratory of Molecular Virology, in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), headed by Dr. Amilcar Tanuri. I undergraduated in Pharmacy in 2000, at UFRJ, and obtained my M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Genetics at the same University. From 2007 to 2008 I got an assistant professor position at the Department of Genetics.The main focus of my scientific work during this initial time was to characterize the development of drug resistance by non-B subtypes of HIV-1, through different molecular virology and cell culture techniques. I was also enrolled on the implementation of a biological test do assure the quality of the generic antiretroviral drugs produced in Brazil - this work was awarded by IAS/ANRS in 2005 during the III IAS Conference. This test has been used as a phenotyping test for drug-resistant HIV-1 clinical isolates. I worked, as a postdoctoral researcher, on a collaborative study with Cristália Lab in the development of new inhibitors of the replicase (NS5b) of the Hepatitis C Virus and also for Protease and Reverse Transcriptase inhibitors of HIV. During those years at UFRJ, I have been trained on virology, molecular biology, cell culture and set up of bioassays. Also, I participated in the implementation of a BSL-3 area, as well as the establishment of HIV and HCV drug screening/resistance cell culture based assays under this biosafety requirements. I moved to New York, in 2011, to assume the position of research fellow at the Design and Development Laboratory, of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). I started working with mimetopes (small molecules designed to mimic NAb epitopes), where I was trained in Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR ? Biacore). Currently, I am developing a project, that aims to design a more immunogenic form of the HIV-1 Gag polyprotein, based on its natural cellular trafficking and localization, which will be able to increase T-cell responses. In another project, I look forward to search a new DNA vaccine strategy, which targets the development of in vivo VLP, aiming to elicit broad neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses, concomitant with the activation of innate responses.

bachelor's at Farmácia from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (2000), master's at Genetics from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (2003) and doctorate at Genetics from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (2008). Has experience in Genetics, focusing on Genetics, acting on the following subjects: p17-p24, hiv matrix protein, pseudopeptides, molecular dynamics and c2 symmetry.