Elodie Ghedin

Last updated
Elodie Ghedin
Elodie Ghedin 2016.jpg
Ghedin in 2016
Born1967
Alma mater McGill University
Université du Québec à Montréal
Awards MacArthur Fellow
Scientific career
Fields parasitology, virology
Institutions J. Craig Venter Institute
New York University
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Elodie Ghedin (born 1967) is a Canadian parasitologist and virologist as well as a professor at the New York University Center for Genomics and Systems Biology. Her work focuses on the molecular biology and genomics of the parasites that cause diseases such as elephantiasis, and river blindness, and on the evolution of the influenza virus. She was named a 2011 MacArthur Fellow, [1] a 2012 Kavli Frontier of Science Fellow, [2] and a 2017 American Academy of Microbiology Fellow. [3] She also was Awarded the Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award in 2010. [4]

Contents

Education

Ghedin received two degrees from McGill University; a B.Sc. in Biology in 1989 and a Ph.D. focused on Molecular Parasitology in 1998. She received a M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences from the Université du Québec à Montréal in 1993. Between 1998 and 2000, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. [5] Elodie Ghedin continued her postdoctoral research with the Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in 2001. [6]

Career

Starting in 2000, she spent six years at the Institute for Genomic Research before joining the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2006 as an assistant professor in the Department of Computational and Systems Biology. She was formerly part of the J. Craig Venter Institute. [7] During her time at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Elodie Ghedin researched filarial nematodes. While she worked with this team they were able to sequence the genome of one of species filarial nematode. Filarial nematodes are parasitic worms that are transmitted through mosquito bites and if left untreated can cause a disease called elephantiasis. [8] Elephantiasis (medically known as lymphatic filariasis) is a disease that causes extreme swelling of limbs often in the legs and feet. [9]

She is currently a parasitologist and virologist at New York University's Center for Genomics & Systems Biology at the College of Global Public Health. [7] Her research covers diverse topics in parasitology and virology, including the genetic diversity [10] of flu strains. She has said: ‘A flu infection is not homogeneous, but rather a mix of strains that gets transmitted as a swarm. [11] Ghedin said current flu vaccines target the dominant strains, because they are the ones that seem to infect the highest number of individuals, [12] but they may miss minor strains, which can also pose a big threat. To examine the contribution of minor flu strains to outbreaks, Ghedin and her colleagues performed whole genome deep sequencing of upper nasal cavity swabs taken from confirmed 2009 Hong Kong flu cases and from their household contacts. [13] Using sophisticated sequencing methods, the team could not only identify variants in flu strains, but also quantify what was being transmitted between infected individuals. Also while working at New York University, Elodie Ghedin was awarded a million-dollar grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study Zika virus infections. [14]

Her results showed that, as expected, most people carried the dominant virus—H1N1 or H3N2. But, in addition, all carried minor strains and variants of the major and minor strains. What was surprising was how readily these variants were transmitted across the studied individuals. [10]

She has also noted that children, pregnant women, and people with obesity tend to have longer flu infections. [15] Another collaborative study by Elodie Ghedin with Sara Lustigman of New York Blood Center, and Thomas Unnasch of The University of South Florida measured levels of RNA molecules in both B. malayi and Wolbachia throughout the lifecycles of male and female worms. [16]

One of her current projects is to be a collaborator with the GoViral Project, [17] a real time tracking system for cold and flu that aims to accurately track cases across the world. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filariasis</span> Parasitic disease caused by a family of nematode worms

Filariasis is a parasitic disease caused by an infection with roundworms of the Filarioidea type. These are spread by blood-feeding insects such as black flies and mosquitoes. They belong to the group of diseases called helminthiases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parasitology</span> Study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them

Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question but by their way of life. This means it forms a synthesis of other disciplines, and draws on techniques from fields such as cell biology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, genetics, evolution and ecology.

<i>Wolbachia</i> Genus of bacteria in the Alphaproteobacteria class

Wolbachia is a genus of intracellular bacteria that infects mainly arthropod species, including a high proportion of insects, and also some nematodes. It is one of the most common parasitic microbes, and is possibly the most common reproductive parasite in the biosphere. Its interactions with its hosts are often complex, and in some cases have evolved to be mutualistic rather than parasitic. Some host species cannot reproduce, or even survive, without Wolbachia colonisation. One study concluded that more than 16% of neotropical insect species carry bacteria of this genus, and as many as 25 to 70% of all insect species are estimated to be potential hosts.

<i>Brugia malayi</i> Medical condition

Brugia malayi is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm), one of the three causative agents of lymphatic filariasis in humans. Lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis, is a condition characterized by swelling of the lower limbs. The two other filarial causes of lymphatic filariasis are Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia timori, which both differ from B. malayi morphologically, symptomatically, and in geographical extent.

Brugia pahangi is a parasitic roundworm belonging to the genus Brugia. It is a filarial nematode known to infect the lymph vessels of domestic cats and wild animals, causing a disease filariasis.

Robert Gordon Webster is an avian influenza authority who correctly posited that pandemic strains of flu arise from genes in flu virus strains in nonhumans; for example, via a reassortment of genetic segments between viruses in humans and nonhumans rather than by mutations in annual human flu strains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza Genome Sequencing Project</span>

The Influenza Genome Sequencing Project (IGSP), initiated in early 2004, seeks to investigate influenza evolution by providing a public data set of complete influenza genome sequences from collections of isolates representing diverse species distributions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lymphatic filariasis</span> Medical condition

Lymphatic filariasis is a human disease caused by parasitic worms known as filarial worms. Usually acquired in childhood, it is a leading cause of permanent disability worldwide. While most cases have no symptoms, some people develop a syndrome called elephantiasis, which is marked by severe swelling in the arms, legs, breasts, or genitals. The skin may become thicker as well, and the condition may become painful. Affected people are often unable to work and are often shunned or rejected by others because of their disfigurement and disability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fujian flu</span> Strains of influenza

Fujian flu refers to flu caused by either a Fujian human flu strain of the H3N2 subtype of the Influenza A virus or a Fujian bird flu strain of the H5N1 subtype of the Influenza A virus. These strains are named after Fujian, a coastal province in Southeast China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milken Institute School of Public Health</span> School of public health of the George Washington University, in Washington, DC

The Milken Institute School of Public Health is the school of public health of the George Washington University, in Washington, DC. U.S. News & World Report University Rankings ranks the Milken SPH as the 11th best public health graduate program in the United States.

Jane M. Carlton is a biologist at New York University whose research centers on the genomics of two groups of single-celled parasites: those which cause malaria, and trichomonads, which include the common sexually transmitted parasite Trichomonas vaginalis.

Beatrice H. Hahn is an American virologist and biomedical researcher best known for work which established that HIV, the virus causing AIDS, began as a virus passed from apes to humans. She is a professor of Medicine and Microbiology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In November 2002, Discover magazine listed Hahn as one of the 50 most important women scientists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Awandare</span> Ghanaian parasitologist

Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare is a Ghanaian parasitologist and the Pro-Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Ghana. Prior to his appointment in January 2022, He was the founding Director of the West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP). He is the current chairman of the CKT-UTAS governing council and the Africa Global Editor of the Experimental Biology and Medicine (EBM) journal.

Keith A. Crandall is an American computational biologist, bioinformaticist, and population geneticist, at George Washington University, where he is the founding director of the Computational Biology Institute, and professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics.

Judith Breuer is a British virologist who is professor of virology and director of the Pathogen Genomics Unit at University College London. She was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2019. Breuer is part of the United Kingdom genome sequencing team that looks to map the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmie de Wit</span> Dutch-American virologist

Emmie de Wit is a Dutch-American virologist. She is chief of the molecular pathogenesis unit at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories. Her research combines pathogenesis studies with detailed molecular analyses to identify molecular determinants of severe respiratory tract disease within the virus and the host.

Laxmi Parida is an IBM Master Inventor and group leader in computational genomics at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center and Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences in New York.

INSACOG is the forum set up under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by the Government of India on 30 December 2020, to study and monitor genome sequencing and virus variation of circulating strains of COVID-19 in India. Initially it was tasked to study the virus variant Lineage B.1.1.7 earlier found in United Kingdom in December 2020.

Odile Bain was a French parasitologist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanta Subbarao</span> Indian virologist and physician

Kanta Subbarao is an Indian virologist, molecular geneticist, and physician-scientist. She is director of the World Health Organization collaborating centre for reference and research on influenza. Subbarao is also a professor at the Doherty Institute.

References

  1. ↑ "MacArthur Fellows Program: Meet the 2011 Fellows". September 20, 2011. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  2. ↑ "Elodie Ghedin | NYU School of Global Public Health". publichealth.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  3. ↑ "Molecular parasitologist and virologist Elodie Ghedin to speak at Grand Seminar - Newsroom - Loyola University Maryland". www.loyola.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  4. ↑ "Elodie Ghedin | NYU School of Global Public Health". publichealth.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  5. ↑ "Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology biography". University of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  6. ↑ "Elodie Ghedin, Ph.D." ASM.org. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  7. 1 2 "Elodie Ghedin | NYU College of Global Public Health". publichealth.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2018-02-03.
  8. ↑ "Researchers Pin Down Genome of Parasitic Worms". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  9. ↑ "Lymphatic filariasis". www.who.int. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  10. 1 2 "Minor Flu Strains Pose Bigger Threat than Thought". Laboratory Equipment. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
  11. ↑ "Undercover flu gets us under covers". IOL. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  12. ↑ "Flu jabs miss minor strains, say experts". Hong Kong Standard. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  13. ↑ "Scientists Find Minor Flu Strains Pack Bigger Punch". PressReleasePoint. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  14. ↑ "Gale, Arthur James Victor, (10 Feb. 1895–4 Sept. 1978) | WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO". www.ukwhoswho.com. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u154682 . Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  15. ↑ "A Clever New Way to Predict Next Year's Flu". Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
  16. ↑ "Researchers profile symbiotic relationship between bacteria and filarial nematodes". Medical Xpress. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
  17. ↑ "Elodie Ghedin | NYU School of Global Public Health". publichealth.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  18. ↑ "GoViral". SciStarter. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
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