Stephen C. Harrison

Last updated
Stephen Harrison
Professor Stephen Harrison ForMemRS.jpg
Stephen Harrison in 2014, portrait via the Royal Society
Alma mater Harvard University (BA, PhD)
SpouseTomas Kirchhausen
Scientific career
Notable students Xiaojiang Chen
Website crystal.harvard.edu

Stephen C. Harrison is professor of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology, professor of pediatrics, and director of the Center for Molecular and Cellular Dynamics of Harvard Medical School, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital, and investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. [1]

Contents

Education and career

He received his B.A. in chemistry and physics from Harvard in 1963, and was then a Henry fellow at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge. In 1967, he received his Ph.D. in biophysics from Harvard, was a research fellow there as well as a junior fellow in the Society of Fellows, and joined the Harvard faculty in 1971.

Research

His wide-ranging studies of protein structure have contributed insights to viral architecture, DNAprotein recognition, and cellular signaling.

Harrison has made important contributions to structural biology, most notably by determining and analyzing the structures of viruses and viral proteins, by crystallographic analysis of protein–DNA complexes, [2] [3] and by structural studies of protein-kinase switching mechanisms. [4] The initiator of high-resolution virus crystallography, he has moved from his early work on tomato bushy stunt virus [5] (1978) to the study of more complex human pathogens, including the capsid of human papillomavirus, [6] the envelope of dengue virus, [7] and several components of HIV. [8] He has also turned some of his research attention to even more complex assemblies, such as clathrin-coated vesicles. [9] He led the Structural Biology team at the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI) when it received National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) funding [10] of around $300 million to address key immunological roadblocks to HIV vaccine development and to design, develop and test novel HIV vaccine candidates.

Society memberships

He is a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, [11] National Academy of Sciences, [12] American Philosophical Society, [13] European Molecular Biology Organization, American Crystallographic Association and American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Awards

Personal life

Harrison has been married to Tomas Kirchhausen, who is currently a Professor at Harvard Medical School, [18] since 2013. [19] [20] They first met in 1978 at a small dinner hosted by Ada Yonath. In the fall of 1979, Tom moved to Cambridge, MA, to work with Harrison, and the two have been in a relationship ever since. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV</span> Human retrovirus, cause of AIDS

The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype.

<i>Adenoviridae</i> Family of viruses

Adenoviruses are medium-sized, nonenveloped viruses with an icosahedral nucleocapsid containing a double-stranded DNA genome. Their name derives from their initial isolation from human adenoids in 1953.

The genome and proteins of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) have been the subject of extensive research since the discovery of the virus in 1983. "In the search for the causative agent, it was initially believed that the virus was a form of the Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV), which was known at the time to affect the human immune system and cause certain leukemias. However, researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris isolated a previously unknown and genetically distinct retrovirus in patients with AIDS which was later named HIV." Each virion comprises a viral envelope and associated matrix enclosing a capsid, which itself encloses two copies of the single-stranded RNA genome and several enzymes. The discovery of the virus itself occurred two years following the report of the first major cases of AIDS-associated illnesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spike protein</span> Glycoprotein spike on a viral capsid or viral envelope

In virology, a spike protein or peplomer protein is a protein that forms a large structure known as a spike or peplomer projecting from the surface of an enveloped virus. The proteins are usually glycoproteins that form dimers or trimers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Introduction to viruses</span> Non-technical introduction to viruses

A virus is a tiny infectious agent that reproduces inside the cells of living hosts. When infected, the host cell is forced to rapidly produce thousands of identical copies of the original virus. Unlike most living things, viruses do not have cells that divide; new viruses assemble in the infected host cell. But unlike simpler infectious agents like prions, they contain genes, which allow them to mutate and evolve. Over 4,800 species of viruses have been described in detail out of the millions in the environment. Their origin is unclear: some may have evolved from plasmids—pieces of DNA that can move between cells—while others may have evolved from bacteria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virus</span> Infectious agent that replicates in cells

A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are found in almost every ecosystem on Earth and are the most numerous type of biological entity. Since Dmitri Ivanovsky's 1892 article describing a non-bacterial pathogen infecting tobacco plants and the discovery of the tobacco mosaic virus by Martinus Beijerinck in 1898, more than 11,000 of the millions of virus species have been described in detail. The study of viruses is known as virology, a subspeciality of microbiology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine Research Center</span>

The Vaccine Research Center (VRC), is an intramural division of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The mission of the VRC is to discover and develop both vaccines and antibody-based products that target infectious diseases.

A neutralizing antibody (NAb) is an antibody that defends a cell from a pathogen or infectious particle by neutralizing any effect it has biologically. Neutralization renders the particle no longer infectious or pathogenic. Neutralizing antibodies are part of the humoral response of the adaptive immune system against viruses, bacteria and microbial toxin. By binding specifically to surface structures (antigen) on an infectious particle, neutralizing antibodies prevent the particle from interacting with its host cells it might infect and destroy.

Barton Ford Haynes is an American physician and immunologist internationally recognized for work in T-cell immunology, retrovirology, and HIV vaccine development. Haynes is a Frederic M. Hanes Professor of Medicine and Immunology at Duke University Medical Center. He is the director of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and the Duke Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery (CHAVI-ID), which was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in 2012. In addition, Haynes directs the B-cell Lineage Envelope Design Study, the Centralized Envelope Phase I Study, and the Role of IgA in HIV-1 Protection Study as part of the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD), which was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2006.

The George Ledlie Prize is awarded by the "President and Fellows of Harvard College" for contributions to science.

David Mahan Knipe is the Higgins Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in the Department of Microbiology at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts and co-chief editor of the reference book Fields Virology. He returned to the Chair of the Program in Virology at Harvard Medical School in 2019, having previously held the position from 2004 through 2016 and served as interim Co-Chair of the Microbiology and Immunobiology Department from 2016 through 2018.

Bernard Moss is a virologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the United States National Institutes of Health. He is the Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Viral Diseases and of the NIAID Genetic Engineering Section. He is known for his work on poxviruses.

Gary J. Nabel is an American virologist and immunologist who is President and chief executive officer of ModeX Therapeutics in Natick, Massachusetts. He was the founding director of Vaccine Research Center at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

A Zika virus vaccine is designed to prevent the symptoms and complications of Zika virus infection in humans. As Zika virus infection of pregnant women may result in congenital defects in the newborn, the vaccine will attempt to protect against congenital Zika syndrome during the current or any future outbreak. As of April 2019, no vaccines have been approved for clinical use, however a number of vaccines are currently in clinical trials. The goal of a Zika virus vaccine is to produce specific antibodies against the Zika virus to prevent infection and severe disease. The challenges in developing a safe and effective vaccine include limiting side effects such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, a potential consequence of Zika virus infection. Additionally, as dengue virus is closely related to Zika virus, the vaccine needs to minimize the possibility of antibody-dependent enhancement of dengue virus infection.

Pontiano Kaleebu is a Ugandan physician, clinical immunologist, HIV/AIDS researcher, academic and medical administrator, who is the executive director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Whelan (scientist)</span> British-American virologist

Sean Whelan is a British-American virologist. He is known for identifying the cellular protein used as a receptor by Ebola virus, for defining the entry pathway that rabies virus uses to enter neurons, and for identifying the ribosome as a possible target for antiviral drugs. In July 2019, he was announced as the new Chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri. In February 2020, Whelan was recognized as the LGBTQ+ Scientist of the Year 2020 by the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kizzmekia Corbett</span> American immunologist

Kizzmekia "Kizzy" Shanta Corbett is an American viral immunologist. She is an Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Shutzer Assistant Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute since June 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason McLellan</span> American structural biologist

Jason S. McLellan is a structural biologist, professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Robert A. Welch Chair in Chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin who specializes in understanding the structure and function of viral proteins, including those of coronaviruses. His research focuses on applying structural information to the rational design of vaccines and other therapies for viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). McLellan and his team collaborated with researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ Vaccine Research Center to design a stabilized version of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, which biotechnology company Moderna used as the basis for the vaccine mRNA-1273, the first COVID-19 vaccine candidate to enter phase I clinical trials in the U.S. At least three other vaccines use this modified spike protein: those from Pfizer and BioNTech; Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals; and Novavax.

Peter Maxwell Howley is an American pathologist, virologist, and professor at Harvard Medical School. He has been president of the American Society for Virology and the American Society for Investigative Pathology and a co-editor of the Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John R. Mascola</span> American Physician-Scientist

John R. Mascola is an American physician-scientist, immunologist and infectious disease specialist. He was the director of the Vaccine Research Center (VRC), part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH). He also served as a principal advisor to Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID, on vaccines and biomedical research affairs. Mascola is the current Chief Scientific Officer for ModeX Therapeutics.

References

  1. "Awards - Stephen C. Harrison wins Bristol-Myers Squibb infectious diseases r". Newsrx.com. 2005-08-22. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  2. Anderson JE, Ptashne M, Harrison SC (1987). "Structure of the repressor-operator complex of bacteriophage 434". Nature. 326 (6116): 846–52. Bibcode:1987Natur.326..846A. doi:10.1038/326846a0. PMID   3553959. S2CID   4259005.
  3. Ellenberger TE, Brandl CJ, Struhl K, Harrison SC (December 1992). "The GCN4 basic region leucine zipper binds DNA as a dimer of uninterrupted alpha helices: crystal structure of the protein-DNA complex". Cell. 71 (7): 1223–37. doi:10.1016/s0092-8674(05)80070-4. PMID   1473154. S2CID   13548424.
  4. Xu W, Harrison SC, Eck MJ (February 1997). "Three-dimensional structure of the tyrosine kinase c-Src". Nature. 385 (6617): 595–602. Bibcode:1997Natur.385..595X. doi:10.1038/385595a0. PMID   9024657. S2CID   4365051.
  5. Harrison SC (June 1969). "Structure of tomato bushy stunt virus. I. The spherically averaged electron density". J. Mol. Biol. 42 (3): 457–83. doi:10.1016/0022-2836(69)90236-8. PMID   5804155.
  6. Modis Y, Trus BL, Harrison SC (September 2002). "Atomic model of the papillomavirus capsid". EMBO J. 21 (18): 4754–62. doi:10.1093/emboj/cdf494. PMC   126290 . PMID   12234916.
  7. Modis Y, Ogata S, Clements D, Harrison SC (January 2004). "Structure of the dengue virus envelope protein after membrane fusion". Nature. 427 (6972): 313–9. Bibcode:2004Natur.427..313M. doi:10.1038/nature02165. PMID   14737159. S2CID   4334063.
  8. Huang H, Chopra R, Verdine GL, Harrison SC (November 1998). "Structure of a covalently trapped catalytic complex of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase: implications for drug resistance". Science. 282 (5394): 1669–75. Bibcode:1998Sci...282.1669H. doi:10.1126/science.282.5394.1669. PMID   9831551.
  9. "Stephen C. Harrison, PhD | Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI)". Archived from the original on 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  10. "NIAID Funds Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI)". Niaid.nih.gov. 2005-07-14. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  11. "Stephen Coplan Harrison". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  12. "Stephen C. Harrison". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  13. "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  14. "UCSD, Harvard Biologist Named Recipient of 2007 UCSD/Merck Life Sciences Achievement Award, March 27, 2007".
  15. "Harvard Medical School, William Silen Lifetime Achievement Excellence in Mentoring Awards Recipients".
  16. "Professor Stephen Harrison ForMemRS".
  17. "BrandeisNOW, Lawrence Goodman, Oct. 15, 2018".
  18. "Tom Kirchhausen, PhD - DF/HCC". www.dfhcc.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  19. Ramakrishnan, Venki (2018). Gene machine : the race to decipher the secrets of the ribosome (First U.S. ed.). New York. ISBN   978-0-465-09336-6. OCLC   1028187395.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  20. "Love and Medicine". hms.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  21. Harrison, Stephen C. (2015-06-02). "Veritas per structuram". Annual Review of Biochemistry. 84 (1): 37–60. doi: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-060614-033857 . ISSN   0066-4154. PMID   25494302.