Slobodan Paessler, D.V.M., Ph.D.
PRESENT POSITION AND ADDRESS:
- Professor with tenure, Department of Pathology
- Director, Galveston National Laboratory Preclinical Studies Core
- Scientific Director, ABSL-3 Facilities
- University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)
- 301 University Boulevard, 5.200P GNL
- Galveston, TX 77555-0609
- Telephone: (409) 266-6913
- FAX: (409) 747-0762
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
BIOGRAPHICAL:
- HOME ADDRESS: 11646 Zingelmann Road, Galveston, TX, 77554, USA
- MARITAL STATUS: Married, 3 children
- CITIZENSHIP: German citizen, USA-permanent resident
EDUCATION:
- 1987 – 1991 B.S., Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture and Veterinary School, Osijek, Croatia.
- 1993 – 1999 Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany.
- 1999 – 2002 Dr. Med. Vet. (PhD-like) Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany.
- Thesis: "Detection of antibodies against alphaviruses in sera of human and animal origin using recombinant antigens and virus-specific monoclonal antibodies." Funded by FHG (Fraunhofer Gesellschaft), Germany.
- 2003 – 2007 Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology, “Pathogenesis of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus”, UTMB Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Galveston, TX, USA.
SPECIAL TRAINING:
- 12/2002 – 02/2003 Large animal ABSL-3 training at CSU, Fort Collins, Colorado
- 01/2005 – 10/2005 BSL-4/ABSL-4 training at UTMB
- 02/2006 – present GLP training for high containment laboratories
PROFESSIONAL AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
- 1991 – 1993 Veterinary Technician, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
- 1999 – 2001 Research Assistant (Candidate for scientific degree in veterinary medicine), Dept. of Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
- 2002 – 2003 Post-doctoral Fellow (NIH Trainee, T32), Department of Pathology, UTMB, Galveston, TX
- 2004 – 2008 Assistant Professor/NIH Career Award, Department of Pathology, UTMB, Galveston, TX
- 2004 – Present Animal work/necropsy training program for ABSL-3/4, UTMB, Galveston, TX
- 2005 – Present Director, Galveston National Laboratory Preclinical Studies Core, UTMB, Galveston, TX
- 2005 – Present Scientific Director, ABSL-3 facilities, Department of Pathology, UTMB, Galveston, TX
- 2008 – Present Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, UTMB, Galveston, TX
- 2010 – Present Associate Professor with tenure, Department of Pathology, UTMB, Galveston, TX
- 2012 – Present Professor with tenure, Department of Pathology, UTMB, Galveston, TX
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES:
Areas of research:
- Molecular biology, viral pathogenesis, viral ecology, vaccine/antivirals, and diagnostics development.
Current Research Awards:
- 1R01AI-10-003 National Institutes of Health (NIAID): Recombinant vaccine against Argentine hemorrhagic fever virus, PI S. Paessler, 25% effort, $4,800,000 total funding, from 04/04/2011 through 04/03/2016.
- 1RO1AI08764301-A1, NIH/NIAID, Reverse genetics to develop a second generation of Rift Valley fever vaccine, PI: T Ikegami (S. Paessler Co-PI), 1,250,000 (direct cost) from 12/14/2010 through 11/30/2015.
- 1UC7AI070083, National Institutes of Health (NIAID), “Galveston National Laboratory Operations, Preclinical Studies Core,” National Laboratory PI: J. LeDuc, Core Director: S Paessler, 50% effort, $2,967,402 for the Preclinical Studies Core from 05/03/2011 through 04/30/2016.
- U54 AI057160, National Institutes of Health (NIAID), Midwest Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, PI: SL Stanley. Project: “Stat 1 modification of antiviral defense,” Project Leader: W. Holtzman, PI for the subcontract S Paessler, 5% effort, $96,000/year, from 03/01/2009-02/28/2014.
- U54 AI065357, National Institutes of Health (NIAID), Rocky Mountain Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, PI: J Belisle. Project: “Arenavirus entry and its inhibition,” Project Leader: J Nuerenberg, PI for the subcontract S Paessler, 2% effort, $80,000/year from 03/01/2009-02/28/2014.
- No number, Celgene, Inc. “Novel antiviral strategy against arenaviruses”. PI: S. Paessler, no salary effort, $64,000 total from 09/2011-06/2013.
- W81XWH-13-C-0092, Dept. of Army, "Chimeric Alphaviruses for Serological VEEV Diagnostics", 1) To create chimeric viruses encoding nonstructural Sindbis virus (SINV) and structural VEEV (TC83 and TrD strains) proteins that replicate efficiently in vitro but are highly attenuated in vivo. 2) To test the chimeric viruses in murine model for their attenuation, using intracranial challenge route. 3) To compare the chimeric viruses to the VEEV parent viruses in a variety of serological tests (to be done at USAMRIID), PI: S. Paessler, 5% effort, $320,000 total from 10/01/12-09/30/15
COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES:
UTMB:
- 01/2005 – present Biocontainment Risk and Safety Assessment Committee (IBC).
- 01/2005 – present Community Advisory Committee (CAB).
- 06/2007 – present Data Management Policy ad hoc Committee.
- 07/2008 – present Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
- 10/2011 – present Student Examination Advisory Committee (SEAC).
- 10/2011 – present Academic Enterprise Space Advisory Committee (AESAC)
TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES AT UTMB:
- 06/2007 – present Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Small Group Facilitator Cardiovascular Pulmonary Course (CVP). This is a ten-week commitment (56 hours) each summer.
- 12/2011 – present Mock study section for proposals from graduate students, Experimental Pathology program.
- 10/2011 – present Chair, Student Examination Advisory Committee (SEAC)
- 12/2011 – present Chair, Preliminary Examination Committee for Meghan E. Hermance
TEACHING AWARDS:
- 2012 Experimental Pathology Graduate Student Organization Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring.
VISITING PROFESSORSHIP:
- 2013, Department of Immunology, Medical School of Kragujevac, Serbia.
MEMBERSHIP IN SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:
- 2004 – present American Society for Microbiology
- 2004 – present American Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene
- 2005 – present American Association for the Advancement of Science
- 2006 – present American Society for Virology
- 2010 – present European Society for Virology
EDITORIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
Editorial Board:
- Zoonoses and Public Health, 10/01/2007-present
- Transboundary and Emerging Diseases (TBED)
– formerly Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series A, 12/2007-present - Journal of Pathogens, 2010-present
- Journal of Virology & Antiviral Research, 2012-present
Guest Editor:
- PlosPathogens
Ad-hoc Reviewer:
- American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Journal of General Virology
- Journal of Virology
- Virology
- Vaccine
- Archives of Virology
- Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews
- Veterinary Microbiology
- PlosOne
- PlosNeglected Diseases
- PlosPathogens
- Emerging Infectious Disease
- Human Vaccines
- Journal of Immunology
- Clinical and Vaccine Immunology
- Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (AAC)
- Journal of Clinical Microbiology (JCM)
- Antiviral Research
- Science
- New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)
PATENTS:
- Approved (U.S. Patent Office): Chimeric Sindbis-Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus and Uses Thereof.
Application Number: 11/478,068. Filed: 06/29/2006
SERVICE FOR NATIONAL STUDY SECTIONS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
- Reviewer for Biodefense Vaccine Enhancement BAA NIH-BARDA-NIAID-DMID-AI2007007. Review of contract proposals received in response to the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) that addresses third generation anthrax vaccines as well as other category A and B pathogen vaccines. This is an important initiative since eventually these products will likely be considered for the National Stockpile.
- Convener for the Workshop session titled “Vaccines & Vectors III.” ASV annual meeting, 2008, Ithaca, NY.
- Session Chair (neurovirology) for the 19th annual virology meeting (German Society for Virology), 2009, Leipzig, Germany.
- Member, ViPR Scientific Working Group, NIH/NIAID 02/2010-present.
- Special Volunteer at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory, Veterinary Division, NIAID/NIH, MT, USA. 03/2010-present.
- Member, special emphasis panel to review R01/R21/R03 grant applications, NIAID/NIH, September 2011.
- Reviewer for “Driving Biological Project proposals to NIAID Bioinformatics Centers” at ViPR, NIAID, December 6th 2011.
- Member, study section to review R21/R33 grant applications for RFA-AI-11-032: “Host-Targeted Interventions as Therapeutics for Infectious Diseases”.
- Virology B study section, NIAID/NIH. From October 9-10 of 2012.
- Member, Health and Medical Research Fund, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The People’s Republic of China, December 2012.
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD:
- Virus Pathogen Resource (ViPR) Scientific Working Group, NIH/NIAID, 2010-present.
COMMUNITY SERVICE:
- Basketball coach for children (6-8 years old), Christian Life Center, Moody Methodist Church, Galveston, TX.
- Soccer coach for children (6-8 years old), Galveston County Youth Soccer League.
- Scientific Research and Design: Bench Tutorials program 2011-2012 for the Ball High School, Galveston, TX.
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