Thomas M Moran, PhD

Dr. Moran has published widely on immunity to virus infection using both mouse models and studies in human subjects. In addition he has led studies aimed to understand changes that occur in immune functions of women during pregnancy. He served as the Overall Director of the NIH funded Center for Investigating Viral Immunity and Antagonism (CIVIA). CIVIA focused on studies of human immunology and infectious disease by advancing technological methodologies, supporting inventive research, serving as a conduit for collaboration and promoting exchange of scientific information. Among other projects, a recent study funded by CIVIA profiled the immune response of patients receiving the live-attenuated influenza virus vaccination. Dr. Moran served as overall PI for the Viral Immunity in Pregnancy study (VIP) that recently concluded. This was a study of changes that occur in women during pregnancy with an emphasis on understanding the enhanced susceptible to infection. Data from the two cohorts of the VIP study-immune response changes during pregnancy (60 patients) and influenza vaccination during pregnancy (350 patients) were recently published.

 

Dr. Moran is the Director of the Center for Therapeutic Antibody Development (CTAD) here at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The center has been active for more than 15 years and during this time produced many monoclonal antibodies against various infectious agents cell surface receptors and other cell associated proteins. CTAD has a close collaboration with Medical Research Council-Technology division in London to produce and develop human or humanized monoclonal antibodies. A number of collaborative projects are in progress primarily to develop monoclonal antibodies withtherapeutic applications. Technology has been developed and is currently being used by CTAD to produce human monoclonal antibodies by V gene cloning as well as fusion of human B cells expanded by various methods in vitro.