Robert F. Garry
Robert F. Garry, Ph.D. is Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Associate Dean for the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences at Tulane Medical School. He is currently managing a consortium of scientists who are developing countermeasures against Ebola and Marburg viruses, Lassa virus, and other high consequence pathogens. The Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Consortium (vhfc.org) produced point-of-care and confirmatory diagnostics based on recombinant proteins that have high sensitivity for detecting infection with Lassa virus. These advances were leveraged to develop immunoassays with high sensitivity and specificity for Ebola virus and other filoviruses. His team has also been investigating the natural history of Ebola and Lassa fever, performing genomic analyses, and developing human monoclonal antibody therapies. A combination of human monoclonal antibodies was able to cure macaques challenged with two diverse stains of Lassa virus even when treatment was delayed for more than a week. The VHFC also continues structural and molecular investigations to deepen understanding of pathogenesis of viral hemorrhagic fevers while providing training for West African scientists and further developing research and clinical trial infrastructure in Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The VHFC team is working with the National Institutes of Health and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations to develop novel Lassa fever and Ebola vaccines.