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Principal Investigator: Catarina E Hioe
Organization: JAMES J PETERS VA MEDICAL CENTER
Fiscal Year: 2024
Funding agency: Veterans Affairs
Project Summary/Abstract
This application is to request a renewal of the BLR&D Research Career Scientist (RCS) award for Dr.
Catarina Hioe. Dr. Hioe is a Research Health Specialist (GS14 Step 6) at the James J. Peters VA Medical
Center (JJP VAMC), Bronx, NY, and a tenured Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai. She joined the VA in 1998 when she initiated her research laboratory with funding from the Merit Review
Entry Program at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System–Manhattan. In 2015, she moved her lab to the
JJP VAMC. She received her first RCS award (10/1/12-9/30/17), plus a one-year Cost Extension through
9/30/18 in part for recovery from Superstorm Sandy (10/29/12). She successfully renewed the RCS award for
the period of 4/1/2019-3/31/2024. Despite the lab closure during the first wave of COVID-19 in New York City
(March-September 2020) and pandemic-related disruptions through the rest of 2020 until 2022, Dr. Hioe’s lab
continues to excel, as evidenced by an array of accomplishments in each of the key measures that are
highlighted in this application.
Since 1998, Dr. Hioe has built a VA research program to study HIV immunology and pathogenesis. This
program is also supported by a robust non-VA research program. The Hioe lab is investigating the
immunogenic and pathogenic properties of the HIV envelope (Env), a heavily glycosylated protein that
interacts with the host to influence virus transmissibility and infectivity. In particular, Dr. Hioe’s studies have
focused on antibodies against the HIV Env which mediate not only conventional virus neutralizing activity but
also Fc-mediated effector functions and novel factors influencing the antiviral potency of these antibodies. After
the emergence of SARS-COV-2 and its rapid spread to cause the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Hioe promptly
applied her expertise and resources cultivated in the field of HIV to tackle the new coronavirus. Similar to HIV
Env, the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein is the target for antibodies that neutralize the virus and mediate
Fc-dependent activities for clearance of virus particles and virus-infected cells. The Spike glycoprotein is the
viral component of all COVID-19 vaccines currently used clinically in the US and other countries, and these
vaccines are designed mainly to elicit antibodies. Hence, during the current RCS period, Dr. Hioe’s lab
continues to focus on antibody research while expanding the scope to encompass both HIV and SARS-CoV-2.
As outlined in her CV (Appendix 1), in the past 10 years Dr. Hioe has published 25 peer-reviewed research
papers, 2 review papers and 1 book chapter. She served as first or senior authors for 20 of these articles. Ten
publications were published during the current RCS award period to report research findings in the areas of
HIV and SARS-CoV-2. She has mentored >35 research trainees throughout her career at the VA; during this
RCS award, the trainees include 10 postdoc/junior faculty, 4 graduate, 3 undergraduate, and 1 high school
student. Dr. Hioe also taught medical and graduate students, and participated in numerous local and national
committees in and outside the VA. Her lab has received continuous support from VA or non-VA grants.
Currently, she has 5 active grants as PI that include an NIH R01 award (non-neutralizing antibodies against
HIV), an NIH R01 grant (HIV immune complex vaccines), an NIH R21 grant (HIV and bacteria interactions), a
VA Merit Review (HIV vaccine based on V1V2 of Env), and another VA Merit Review (Fc functions of SARS-
CoV-2 antibodies). She is also a co-investigator on an NIH R01 grant (HIV Env signal sequence).
Terms: <19S Gamma Globulin><2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><2019-nCoV S protein><2019-nCoV spike glycoprotein><2019-nCoV spike protein><2019-nCoV vaccine><7S Gamma Globulin><AIDS Virus><AIDS prevention><Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus><Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus><Adherence><Admission><Admission activity><Anti-Retroviral Agents><Antibodies><Antigen-Antibody Complex><Antigenic Determinants><Antigens><Applications Grants><Appointment><Area><Assay><Award><Bacteria><Bacterial Gene Products><Bacterial Gene Proteins><Bacterial Proteins><Binding><Binding Determinants><Bioassay><Biological Assay><Blood Plasma><Book Chapters><COVID crisis><COVID disease severity><COVID epidemic><COVID pandemic><COVID severity><COVID-19><COVID-19 S protein><COVID-19 antibody><COVID-19 crisis><COVID-19 disease severity><COVID-19 epidemic><COVID-19 era><COVID-19 global health crisis><COVID-19 global pandemic><COVID-19 health crisis><COVID-19 pandemic><COVID-19 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