Avery August | |
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| Born | 28 January 1964 Belize City, Belize |
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Avery August (born January 28, 1964) is a Belizean-born American scientist who is currently a professor of immunology and vice provost at Cornell University.
Avery August was born in Belize City, Belize. August attended government primary schools, and subsequently attended St. Michael's College for Boys (as High Schools in Belize are called), [1] where he earned a High School Diploma. Following one year at the Belize Technical College, he emigrated with his family to Los Angeles, California. There he attended California State University, Los Angeles, [2] where he earned a B.S. degree in Medical Technology. [3] While at California State University, he got involved in undergraduate research in the laboratory of Phoebe Dea, then Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at California State University [4] (see Scientific Career below for details). This first exposure to research pushed him to attend graduate school at Cornell University's Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences in New York City. There he worked at the Sloan Kettering Institute (an institute within the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) with Immunologist Bo Dupont, and where he earned his PhD in immunology. He then gained post-doctoral experience at The Rockefeller University, working with renowned virologist and National Academy of Science member, Hidesaburo Hanafusa.
August first worked in the catalytic synthesis of fatty acids and other lipids as an undergraduate student in Prof. Dea's laboratory at California State University, Los Angeles. This work resulted in the publication on methods to easily catalyze the insertion of deuterium into unsaturated fatty acids, which could then be used as probes of membrane structure. [5] Then, he became interested in immunology as he described in a recent interview with Stephanie Houston of Journal of Experimental Medicine. [6]
Upon moving to Cornell University, August initiated work on his PhD thesis, to understand the molecular basis of activation of T cells. T cells are major players in regulating the development of an immune response. [7] The importance of these cells is illustrated by the fact that the virus HIV infects helper T cells, and thus disables effective immunity against the virus, resulting in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS. [8]
August joined the laboratory of Bo Dupont at the Sloan-Kettering Research Institute for Cancer Research and worked on unraveling the molecular basis for T cell co-stimulation by the cell surface protein CD28. This work resulted in 9 publications (see references at PubMed). This work also led to the production of his PhD thesis entitled "On the molecular basis of the two signal hypothesis of T cell activation: Signaling by CD3 and CD28" from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University. [9]
Following graduation, August joined the Laboratory of Molecular Oncology at Rockefeller University, headed by Hidesaburo Hanafusa. At The Rockefeller, August worked on a number of areas, including analysis of the BRCA1 oncogene that when mutated, results in much increased risk for breast cancer. This work was the first to show that this protein could regulate the transcription of genes and could potentially regulate the development of Breast cancer in this fashion. [10] [11] [12] He also continued working on analysis of the regulation of Tec family kinases, work which he had started as a PhD student [13] and was the first to show that this family of kinases are regulated by upstream signals from Src and PI3-kinase. [14] This work had direct implications for manipulating T cell activation and thus the immune response. August joined Pennsylvania State University in 1999 as an assistant professor. There he became distinguished professor of immunology and director of Center of the Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease. Subsequently, he moved to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he is a professor at the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Howard Hughes Medical Institutes-HHMI Professor, [15] and also the vice provost for academic affairs. [16]
August was awarded the Ruth Kirschstein Diversity in Science award in 2016 for his contributions to breaking down barriers for historically marginalized scientists and to the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. [17]
In 2018, August was selected to become an HHMI professor for his work with undergraduate researchers. [18] Specifically, he developed a three-stage program to support students that are transferring from community colleges. The stages include a summer research experience, faculty mentoring and peer mentoring.
CTLA-4 or CTLA4, also known as CD152, is a protein receptor that functions as an immune checkpoint and downregulates immune responses. CTLA-4 is constitutively expressed in regulatory T cells but only upregulated in conventional T cells after activation – a phenomenon which is particularly notable in cancers. It acts as an "off" switch when bound to CD80 or CD86 on the surface of antigen-presenting cells.
Biological crosstalk refers to instances in which one or more components of one signal transduction pathway affects another. This can be achieved through a number of ways with the most common form being crosstalk between proteins of signaling cascades. In these signal transduction pathways, there are often shared components that can interact with either pathway. A more complex instance of crosstalk can be observed with transmembrane crosstalk between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the cytoskeleton.
Co-stimulation is a secondary signal which immune cells rely on to activate an immune response in the presence of an antigen-presenting cell. In the case of T cells, two stimuli are required to fully activate their immune response. During the activation of lymphocytes, co-stimulation is often crucial to the development of an effective immune response. Co-stimulation is required in addition to the antigen-specific signal from their antigen receptors.
CD28 is one of the proteins expressed on T cells that provide co-stimulatory signals required for T cell activation and survival. T cell stimulation through CD28 in addition to the T-cell receptor (TCR) can provide a potent signal for the production of various interleukins.
In immunology, an immunological synapse is the interface between an antigen-presenting cell or target cell and a lymphocyte such as a T/B cell or Natural Killer cell. The interface was originally named after the neuronal synapse, with which it shares the main structural pattern. An immunological synapse consists of molecules involved in T cell activation, which compose typical patterns—activation clusters. Immunological synapses are the subject of much ongoing research.
Sankar Ghosh is an Indian-American immunologist, microbiologist, and biochemist, who is the Chair and Silverstein & Hutt Family Professor of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Ghosh is best known for his pioneering research on the activation of cellular responses via NF-κB, a transcription factor that plays a critical role in regulating the expression of a large number of genes involved in the mammalian immune system. Ghosh's research led to the first cloning and characterization of NF-κB and IkB proteins, including the demonstration of the role of IkB phosphorylation in the activation of NF-κB.
Cluster of Differentiation 86 is a protein constitutively expressed on dendritic cells, Langerhans cells, macrophages, B-cells, and on other antigen-presenting cells. Along with CD80, CD86 provides costimulatory signals necessary for T cell activation and survival. Depending on the ligand bound, CD86 can signal for self-regulation and cell-cell association, or for attenuation of regulation and cell-cell disassociation.
RAC(Rho family)-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the AKT1 gene. This enzyme belongs to the AKT subfamily of serine/threonine kinases that contain SH2 protein domains. It is commonly referred to as PKB, or by both names as "Akt/PKB".
AKT2, also known as RAC-beta serine/threonine-protein kinase, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the AKT2 gene. It influences metabolite storage as part of the insulin signal transduction pathway.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 14 also known as NF-kappa-B-inducing kinase (NIK) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the MAP3K14 gene.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 8 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the MAP3K8 gene.
This gene encodes a member of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase subfamily of the Ser/Thr protein kinase family, and is most highly similar to GRK4 and GRK5. The protein phosphorylates the activated forms of G protein-coupled receptors to regulate their signaling.
Dual specificity protein phosphatase 3 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the DUSP3 gene.
Serine/threonine-protein kinase 10 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the STK10 gene.
Christopher Edward Rudd, is a Canadian-born immunologist-biochemist. He is currently Professor of Medicine at the Universite de Montreal and Director, Immunology-Oncology at the Centre de Recherche Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (CR-HMR).
NKG2D is an activating receptor (transmembrane protein) belonging to the NKG2 family of C-type lectin-like receptors. NKG2D is encoded by KLRK1 (killer cell lectin like receptor K1) gene which is located in the NK-gene complex (NKC) situated on chromosome 6 in mice and chromosome 12 in humans. In mice, it is expressed by NK cells, NK1.1+ T cells, γδ T cells, activated CD8+ αβ T cells and activated macrophages. In humans, it is expressed by NK cells, γδ T cells and CD8+ αβ T cells. NKG2D recognizes induced-self proteins from MIC and RAET1/ULBP families which appear on the surface of stressed, malignant transformed, and infected cells.
Harvey Cantor is an American immunologist known for his studies of the development and immunological function of T lymphocytes. Cantor is currently the Baruj Benacerraf Professor of Immunology and Microbiology at the Harvard Medical School.
Martin Turner is a molecular biologist and Head of the Lymphocyte Signalling & Development Laboratory at the Babraham Institute. His work has helped identify key molecular processes involved in the development of the immune system and its response to pathogens. His work has included research the fundamental mechanisms regulating gene expression by cells of the immune system.
Shu Hongbing is a Chinese cytologist and immunologist. He became a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2011 and TWAS in 2012. Shu is mainly known for his work on cell signal transduction related to immunity.
Keith Kelley is an American immunophysiologist, researcher and academic. He is Professor Emeritus of Immunophysiology at the University of Illinois and Editor-In-Chief Emeritus of Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. He is a Past-President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society.
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