Melinda Beck

Last updated
Melinda Beck
Born
Melinda Annetta Beck
Alma mater University of California, Berkeley
California Polytechnic University
Ohio State University
Scientific career
Institutions University of North Carolina
University of Nebraska Omaha
Thesis Regulation of cell-mediated immunity during reinfection with influenza virus  (1987)
Website onlinemph.unc.edu/about/faculty/melinda-beck OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Melinda Annetta Beck is an American nutritionist and professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she also serves as interim department chair. [1] Her research investigates the relationship between nutrition and immune response to infectious disease. She was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2022.

Contents

Early life and education

Beck studied zoology at the University of California, Berkeley.[ citation needed ] She moved to the California Polytechnic State University for doctoral research, where she studied medical microbiology. [2] Her graduate dissertation developed an immunofluorescent test to detect Gardnerella vaginalis . [3] She then moved to Ohio State University, where she studied cell-mediated immunity during re-infection with influenza. [4]

Research and career

After her PhD, Beck was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Nebraska Omaha. [5] Beck joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992. She was awarded a Fellowship in the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center. She was made associate professor in 1998, full professor in 2004 and department chair in 2022. [5]

Beck studies the relationships between host nutrition and how the immune system responds to infectious disease. In particular, she has studied how obesity impacts response to influenza, and the mechanisms that impact adult response to flu vaccines. [6] She has shown that following influenza infection, obese mice have a higher mortality rate than their lean counterparts, and that obese individuals do not sustain anti-flu antibodies. [7] [8] She showed that deficiency in antioxidant nutrients can give rise to viral mutations that make viruses pathogenic. [7] Her research was the first to show that nutritional deficiency in the host can permit a non-virulent virus to become virulent, indicting that the nutritional status of the host can drive infection. [7]

Awards and honors

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<i>Influenza A virus</i> Species of virus

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a pathogen that causes the flu in birds and some mammals, including humans. It is an RNA virus whose subtypes have been isolated from wild birds. Occasionally, it is transmitted from wild to domestic birds, and this may cause severe disease, outbreaks, or human influenza pandemics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avian influenza</span> Influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds

Avian influenza, also known as avian flu, is a bird flu caused by the influenza A virus, which can infect people. It is similar to other types of animal flu in that it is caused by a virus strain that has adapted to a specific host. The type with the greatest risk is highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

<i>Orthomyxoviridae</i> Family of RNA viruses including the influenza viruses

Orthomyxoviridae is a family of negative-sense RNA viruses. It includes seven genera: Alphainfluenzavirus, Betainfluenzavirus, Gammainfluenzavirus, Deltainfluenzavirus, Isavirus, Thogotovirus, and Quaranjavirus. The first four genera contain viruses that cause influenza in birds and mammals, including humans. Isaviruses infect salmon; the thogotoviruses are arboviruses, infecting vertebrates and invertebrates. The Quaranjaviruses are also arboviruses, infecting vertebrates (birds) and invertebrates (arthropods).

Antigenic drift is a kind of genetic variation in viruses, arising from the accumulation of mutations in the virus genes that code for virus-surface proteins that host antibodies recognize. This results in a new strain of virus particles that is not effectively inhibited by the antibodies that prevented infection by previous strains. This makes it easier for the changed virus to spread throughout a partially immune population. Antigenic drift occurs in both influenza A and influenza B viruses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza A virus subtype H5N1</span> Subtype of influenza A virus

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 (A/H5N1) is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other species. A bird-adapted strain of H5N1, called HPAI A(H5N1) for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of type A of subtype H5N1, is the highly pathogenic causative agent of H5N1 flu, commonly known as avian influenza. It is enzootic in many bird populations, especially in Southeast Asia. One strain of HPAI A(H5N1) is spreading globally after first appearing in Asia. It is epizootic and panzootic, killing tens of millions of birds and spurring the culling of hundreds of millions of others to stem its spread. Many references to "bird flu" and H5N1 in the popular media refer to this strain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza vaccine</span> Vaccine against influenza

Influenza vaccines, also known as flu shots, are vaccines that protect against infection by influenza viruses. New versions of the vaccines are developed twice a year, as the influenza virus rapidly changes. While their effectiveness varies from year to year, most provide modest to high protection against influenza. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that vaccination against influenza reduces sickness, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. Immunized workers who do catch the flu return to work half a day sooner on average. Vaccine effectiveness in those over 65 years old remains uncertain due to a lack of high-quality research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swine influenza</span> Infection caused by influenza viruses endemic to pigs

Swine influenza is an infection caused by any of several types of swine influenza viruses. Swine influenza virus (SIV) or swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) refers to any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. As of 2009, identified SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A known as H1N1, H1N2, H2N1, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3.

An emergent virus is a virus that is either newly appeared, notably increasing in incidence/geographic range or has the potential to increase in the near future. Emergent viruses are a leading cause of emerging infectious diseases and raise public health challenges globally, given their potential to cause outbreaks of disease which can lead to epidemics and pandemics. As well as causing disease, emergent viruses can also have severe economic implications. Recent examples include the SARS-related coronaviruses, which have caused the 2002-2004 outbreak of SARS (SARS-CoV-1) and the 2019–21 pandemic of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). Other examples include the human immunodeficiency virus which causes HIV/AIDS; the viruses responsible for Ebola; the H5N1 influenza virus responsible for avian flu; and H1N1/09, which caused the 2009 swine flu pandemic. Viral emergence in humans is often a consequence of zoonosis, which involves a cross-species jump of a viral disease into humans from other animals. As zoonotic viruses exist in animal reservoirs, they are much more difficult to eradicate and can therefore establish persistent infections in human populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza treatment</span> Therapy and pharmacy for the common infectious disease

Treatments for influenza include a range of medications and therapies that are used in response to disease influenza. Treatments may either directly target the influenza virus itself; or instead they may just offer relief to symptoms of the disease, while the body's own immune system works to recover from infection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umifenovir</span> Chemical compound

Umifenovir, sold under the brand name Arbidol, is an antiviral medication for the treatment of influenza and COVID infections used in Russia and China. The drug is manufactured by Pharmstandard. It is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment or prevention of influenza.

A breakthrough infection is a case of illness in which a vaccinated individual becomes infected with the illness, because the vaccine has failed to provide complete immunity against the pathogen. Breakthrough infections have been identified in individuals immunized against a variety of diseases including mumps, varicella (Chickenpox), influenza, and COVID-19. The characteristics of the breakthrough infection are dependent on the virus itself. Often, infection of the vaccinated individual results in milder symptoms and shorter duration than if the infection were contracted naturally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human mortality from H5N1</span>

Human mortality from H5N1 or the human fatality ratio from H5N1 or the case-fatality rate of H5N1 is the ratio of the number of confirmed human deaths resulting from confirmed cases of transmission and infection of H5N1 to the number of those confirmed cases. For example, if there are 100 confirmed cases of humans infected with H5N1 and 10 die, then there is a 10% human fatality ratio. H5N1 flu is a concern due to the global spread of H5N1 that constitutes a pandemic threat. The majority of H5N1 flu cases have been reported in southeast and east Asia. The case-fatality rate is central to pandemic planning. Estimates of case-fatality (CF) rates for past influenza pandemics have ranged from to 2-3% for the 1918 pandemic to about 0.6% for the 1957 pandemic to 0.2% for the 1968 pandemic. As of 2008, the official World Health Organization estimate for the case-fatality rate for the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza was approximately 60%. Public health officials in Ontario, Canada argue that the true case-fatality rate could be lower, pointing to studies suggesting it could be 14-33%, and warned that it was unlikely to be as low as the 0.1–0.4% rate that was built into many pandemic plans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Influenza</span> Infectious disease, often just "the flu"

Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms begin from one to four days after exposure to the virus and last for about 2–8 days. Diarrhea and vomiting can occur, particularly in children. Influenza may progress to pneumonia, which can be caused by the virus or by a subsequent bacterial infection. Other complications of infection include acute respiratory distress syndrome, meningitis, encephalitis, and worsening of pre-existing health problems such as asthma and cardiovascular disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pandemic H1N1/09 virus</span> Virus responsible for the 2009 swine flu pandemic

The pandemic H1N1/09 virus is a swine origin influenza A virus subtype H1N1 strain that was responsible for the 2009 swine flu pandemic. This strain is often called swine flu by the public media. For other names, see the Nomenclature section below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H5N1 vaccine</span> Vaccine designed to provide immunity against H5N1 influenza

A H5N1 vaccine is an influenza vaccine intended to provide immunization to influenza A virus subtype H5N1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Barclay</span> British virologist

Wendy Sue Fox is a British virologist. She is currently head of Department of Infectious Disease and chair in Influenza Virology at Imperial College London. She leads a team of scientists studying the influenza virus and its physiology and morphology to discover novel vaccines. In particular, they are trying to understand more about influenza virus mutations, and how they can allow scientists to create new vaccines against possible flu pandemics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Gilbert</span> British vaccinologist

Dame Sarah Catherine Gilbert is an English vaccinologist who is a Professor of Vaccinology at the University of Oxford and co-founder of Vaccitech. She specialises in the development of vaccines against influenza and emerging viral pathogens. She led the development and testing of the universal flu vaccine, which underwent clinical trials in 2011.

A nasal vaccine is a vaccine administered through the nose that stimulates an immune response without an injection. It induces immunity through the inner surface of the nose, a surface that naturally comes in contact with many airborne microbes. Nasal vaccines are emerging as an alternative to injectable vaccines because they do not use needles and can be introduced through the mucosal route. Nasal vaccines can be delivered through nasal sprays to prevent respiratory infections and diseases like smallpox, Alzheimer’s, influenza, whooping cough, and COVID-19.

Allison Elizabeth Aiello is an American epidemiologist. She is a professor of Epidemiology and a Carolina Population Center Fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Aiello is an expert in influenza, investigating non-pharmaceutical interventions for flu prevention.

Elizabeth Mayer-Davis is an American nutritionist who is the Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She is the Director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Nutrition Obesity Research Center, and Dean of the UNC Graduate School. She has sought to better understand diabetes. She was awarded the 2019 American Diabetes Association Kelly West Award.

References

  1. Melinda Beck publications from Europe PubMed Central
  2. Research, Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition (1999). Biographical Sketches. National Academies Press (US).
  3. Beck, Melinda (1982). Development of an indirect immunofluorescent test for the detection of Gardnerella vaginalis. worldCat.org (MS thesis). California Polytechnic State University. OCLC   9510637.
  4. Beck, Melina (1987). Regulation of cell-mediated immunity during reinfection with influenza virus. worldcat.org (PhD thesis). Ohio State University. OCLC   17185672. ProQuest   303480456.
  5. 1 2 "Beck to serve as interim chair for Gillings School's Department of Nutrition". UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  6. "Melinda Beck, PhD". UNC-MPH. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  7. 1 2 3 "Dr. Melinda Beck | College of Education and Human Sciences". cehs.unl.edu. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  8. "Flu shot less effective for obese adults". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  9. "American Society for Nutrition and ASN Foundation Awards Recipients" (PDF).
  10. "Beck named AAAS faculty fellow". UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  11. P A Sheridan; H A Paich; J Handy; et al. (25 October 2011). "Obesity is associated with impaired immune response to influenza vaccination in humans". International Journal of Obesity . 36 (8): 1072–1077. doi:10.1038/IJO.2011.208. ISSN   0307-0565. PMC   3270113 . PMID   22024641. Wikidata   Q30408577.
  12. Melinda A Beck; Orville A Levander; Jean Handy (May 2003). "Selenium deficiency and viral infection". Journal of Nutrition . 133 (5 Suppl 1): 1463S–7S. doi:10.1093/JN/133.5.1463S. ISSN   0022-3166. PMID   12730444. Wikidata   Q28202394.
  13. Barry Popkin; Shufa Du; William D Green; et al. (26 August 2020). "Individuals with obesity and COVID-19: A global perspective on the epidemiology and biological relationships". Obesity Reviews . doi:10.1111/OBR.13128. ISSN   1467-7881. PMC   7461480 . PMID   32845580. Wikidata   Q98730075.