AIDS and Cancer Virus Program

Biography

Rebecca F. Kiser received her B.S. in Biochemistry from VA Tech in 1979 and her Master’s Degree in 1989 from Hood College in Biomedical Sciences, Immunology Option. Since 1998, she has served as both as Scientific Program Manager for the AIDS and Cancer Virus Program (ACVP) and Head of the Specimen Support Core for the ACVP.

Research Description

In August 1998 an internal ACVP core was created to provide support for processing and assaying specimens derived from vaccine and pathogenesis studies conducted in non-human primates. This core, designated the Specimen Support Core (SSC), is charged with providing the ongoing infrastructure support for non-human primate protocols and now serves as the “clinical laboratory” equivalent for specimens associated with AIDS vaccine and pathogenesis studies in non-human primates conducted by ACVP investigators and collaborators. The SSC receives, accessions, processes, distributes, and stores blood and tissue derived specimens from macaques under study, and maintains detailed databases on these specimens, including current inventories of cryo-preserved samples. The SSC also performs standardized assays including flow cytometry for these samples. Responsibility for preparation of all anti-retroviral drugs for use in ACVP and collaborative non-human primate studies also falls to the SSC. The SSC primarily supports the non-human primate studies of ACVP investigators and their intramural and extramural collaborators.

Recent Publications

1. Hatziioannou T, Ambrose Z, Chung NPY, Piatak MJr, Yuan F, Trubey CM, Coalter V, Kiser R, Schneider D, Smedley J, Pung R, Gathuka M, Estes JD, Veazey RS, KewalRamani VN, Lifson JD, Bieniasz PD: A macaque model of HIV-1 infection. PNAS 106:4425-4429, 2009.
2. Lifson JD, Rossio JL, Piatak MJr, Bess JJr, Chertova E, Schneider DK, Coalter V, Poore B, Kiser R, Imming RJ, Scarzello AJ, Henderson LE, Alvord WG, Hirsch VM, Benveniste RE, Arthur LO: Evaluation of the safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of whole inactivated simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) vaccines with conformationally and functionally intact envelope glycoproteins. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 20:772-787, 2004.
3. Lifson JD, Piatak M, Rossio JL, Bess J, Chertova E, Schneider D, Kiser R, Coalter V, Poore B, Imming R, Desrosiers RC, Henderson LE, Arthur LO: Whole inactivated SIV virion vaccines with functional envelope glycoproteins: Safety, immunogenicity, and activity against intrarectal challenge. J Med Primatol 31:205-216, 2002.
4. Lifson JD, Rossio JL, Piatak M, Parks T, Li L, Kiser R, Coalter V, Fisher B, Flynn BM, Czajak S, Hirsch VM, Reimann KA, Schmitz JE, Ghrayeb J, Bischofberger N, Nowak MA, Desrosiers RC, Wodarz D: Role of CD8+ lymphocytes in control of simian immunodeficiency virus infection and resistance to rechallenge after transient early antiretroviral treatment. J Virol 75:10187-10199, 2001.
5. Lifson JD, Rossio JL, Arnaout R, Li L, Parks TL, Schneider DM, Kiser RF, Coalter VJ, Walsh G, Imming RJ, Fisher B, Flynn BM, Bischofberger N, Piatak MJr, Hirsch VM, Nowak MA, Wodarz D: Containment of SIV infection: Cellular immune responses and protection from rechallenge following transient post-inoculation antiretroviral treatment. J Virol 74:2584-2593, 2000.

Staffing

• Vicky J. Coalter, Research Associate III
• Donald Johnson, Research Associate II
• Adam C. Wiles, Research Associate I
• Rodney W. Wiles, Research Associate I