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Mascola Named VRC Deputy Director

Dr. John Mascola has joined the Vaccine Research Center as deputy director. His distinguished career in infectious disease and retrovirus research has provided important information about HIV, specifically in the areas of antibody-mediated protection from HIV and mucosal HIV transmission, said VRC director Dr. Gary Nabel. Mascola has been an active participant on the NIAID AIDS research review committee, NIAID AIDS immunology study section, and NIH vaccine study section.

"John Mascola has been a major contributor to HIV vaccine development through his studies on neutralizing antibodies. His thoughtful, scholarly work on their role in neutralization in vitro and in non-human primate models has led to a better understanding of protective immunity," added Nabel.

Mascola will oversee the biosafety level-3 facility in its basic and applied research activities, and promote programs that meet the VRC's scientific objectives. He will also represent the VRC at NIH planning and advisory meetings, and at national and international conferences and workshops.

He currently holds two positions in the division of retroviology at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, including head of the department of HIV prevention research and assistant head of the department of HIV vaccine development. He also held concurrent appointments of associate professor of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and research physician at the Naval Medical Research Institute.

Mascola is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Assocation for the Advancement of Science.

Ganson Is New NIDCR Planning Officer

Dr. Harriet Ganson has joined NIDCR as the new planning officer and chief of the Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation Branch of the institute's Office of Science Policy and Analysis. She will also serve as the NIDCR legislative analyst and congressional liaison. Prior to joining NIDCR, Ganson was with the General Accounting Office, where she was assistant director, health, education and human services division and general government division. She has over 20 years of public policy research and evaluation experience and has taught courses on research methods and sociology. Ganson earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from Ohio State University, where she also received an M.S. in family and child development.

Roederer Directs Flow Cytometry at VRC

Dr. Mario Roederer has been named director of the flow cytometry core laboratory at the Vaccine Research Center. He is an expert in using flow cytometry to identify lymphocyte subsets and determine their role in the pathogenesis of human disease. He has made important discoveries about the ability of different T cell subsets to support HIV infection, and has reported key differences in these cells that determine their role in the progression of HIV.

"Mario has made important contributions to understanding the pathogenesis of HIV infection through careful studies of lymphocyte subsets. His expertise in human immunology and flow cytometry will provide a sound foundation for understanding immune responses to vaccines in humans and animal models," said Dr. Gary Nabel, VRC director.

Roederer will also continue his research into the function of the human immune system during disease. His research will focus on four primary areas: isolation and functional characterization of T cell subsets, the role of these subsets in supporting HIV infection, molecular and cellular biology of antigen-specific immunity, and immune responses at mucosal surfaces. Information obtained from these studies will be essential for evaluating potential HIV treatment and prevention strategies, especially HIV vaccines.

Roederer received his Ph.D. in biological sciences from Carnegie Mellon University and conducted postdoctoral research in immunology at Stanford University. He comes to the VRC from the University of California, San Francisco, where he was an adjunct associate professor in the department of stomatology.

Monsees Directs OPEC at CIT

Marie Monsees was recently named director of the new Office of Planning, Evaluation and Communications at the Center for Information Technology. She originally joined NIH in 1993 as director of the Division of Information Resources Management Oversight and Clearance in the then newly formed Office of Information Resources Management, Office of the Director, NIH. In 1997, she became program manager of the NIH Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center, providing streamlined IT acquisition services to NIH and serving as a resource to a government-wide clientele. Under her direction, the NITAAC program was recognized for its innovation, service and contributions to procurement reform and was awarded, in 1999, Vice President Gore's Hammer Award.