Supervisor:

Dr. Keith Fowke

Position:

Technician

Degrees obtained:

• B.Sc. Microbiology - University of Manitoba

Current Project:

Tech Support

About: Steve is a research technician for Dr. Keith Fowke. He has a 4 year BSc. major in microbiology from the University of Manitoba. Steve provides tech support and have been involved in many projects that include many techniques. This includes molecular biology, cytometry, cell culture, and other protocols. I also run and overlook our BD FACScailbur cytometer and Epics Elite sorter in level 3. He has recently begun using Luminex bead technology to study samples.

Supervisor:

Dr. Keith Fowke

Position:

Clinical Fellow

Degrees obtained:

• Doctor of Medicine- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
• 1999-2004 –Residency- Division of Medicine - Carmel Medical Center- Haifa, Israel.

Current Project:

Using suspension bead array for antibody detection and flow-cytometry for CMI

About: Using suspension bead array for antibody detection and flow-cytometry for CMI the antigen specific responses to HIV and Influenza are determined. The influenza and HIV specific responses of HIV resistant commercial sex workers will be determined before and after mucosal influenza vaccine challenge

Supervisor:

Dr. Keith Fowke

Position:

Postdoctoral Fellow

Degrees obtained:

• BSc --University of Manitoba
• PhD--University of Alberta.

Current Project:

Defining immunological responses in commercial sex workers follwing a reduction in exposure to HIV

About:

Supervisor:

Dr. Keith Fowke

Position:

Graduate Student

Degrees obtained:

• B.Sc. Microbiology - University of Manitoba

Current Project:

The role of regulatory T cells in HIV infection and resistance

About: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subset of circulating CD4+ T cells that play an important role in modulating immune responses in autoimmunity, cancer, transplantation, allergy and infectious disease. They have previously been shown to exert a suppressive effect on CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses to HIV and other antigens. Catherine’s project focuses on examining the phenotypic and functional characteristics of these cells in HIV-resistant women and comparing them with HIV-positive and HIV-negative control groups. Using multicolour flow cytometry, Treg frequencies and phenotypes can be examined in each of these populations. The effect of Tregs on antigen-specific responses is being defined by depleting these cells from the lymphocyte population and examining resulting changes in cytokine production, proliferation and immune activation following antigen stimulation.

Supervisor:

Dr. Keith Fowke

Position:

Summer Student

Degrees obtained:

• Second Year of Biology and International Development - University of Winnipeg

Current Project:

Fowke Lab Student

About: This is Conar’s first year working as a summer student in the lab and thus he does not have ar project of his own. However, this job is an excellent opportunity for him to gain research experience and lab skills. He is currently a second year university student at the University of Winnipeg, majoring in Biology and International Development. Conar has an interest in research in the future but intends to apply to medical school after he finishes his third or fourth year of undergraduate studies.

Supervisor:

Dr. Keith Fowke

Position:

Master's Student

Degrees obtained:

• BSc.(Honours)-University of Tontoronta

Current Project:

Start in Sep 2007

About:

Supervisor:

Dr. Keith Fowke

Position:

Master's Student

Degrees obtained:

• BSc. Biochemistry-University of Buea
• MSc. Biochemistry-University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Current Project:

Effect of plant extracts on immune activation, HIV entry and replication in CD4+ T-lymphocytes

About: In Africa traditional healers claims that herbal extracts have properties of therapeutic interest against HIV and HIV/AIDS related diseases, however, little has been done to verify such claims. In order to validate such ethnopharmacological claims my research is aimed at investigating the effect of plant extracts on in vitro immune activation, apoptosis, HIV entry and replication in T-lymphocytes.

• 2001 MHRC Fellowship
• 2001/03 CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship $35,000/yr
• 2002 admitted to the ICID/CIHR National Training Program in Infectious Diseases

Defining HIV-specific CD4+ T-helper epitopes in HIV-resistant and HIV-infected individuals.

Supervisor:

Dr. Keith Fowke

Position:

Graduate Student

Degrees obtained:

• B.Sc. (H) Microbiology- University of Manitoba
• M.Sc. - University of Manitoba
• PhD - University of Manitoba

Current Project:

Mechanisms of HIV disease progression

About: Sandra graduated from the Fowke lab with her PhD in Feb 2007 and currently an NSERC fellow at teh National Mcirobiolgy Laboratory. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with an honors degree in Microbiology in 2000, and joined the lab as a Masters student soon after. Her studies have focused on the mechanisms of HIV disease progression, with particular emphasis on immune activation, apoptosis, and T cell memory. Sandra has had the amazing opportunity to do part of her project in Nairobi where she spent a number of months working in the laboratories based at the University of Nairobi. She says she enjoyed her visits there tremendously and hopes she will go back there at some point in my career. Upon finishing her training here, she hopes to stay in the field of infectious diseases with particular emphasis on HIV vaccine development.

Supervisor:

Dr. Keith Fowke

Position:

Sabbatical Scientist

Degrees obtained:

• B.Sc. Nigeria
• PhD - University of Alberta

Current Project:

Anti-viral Immunity

Interests:

• The role of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide in vital processes, especially in cellular immunity and pathogenesis in infectious disease states (e.g., malaria and brucellosis).
• The effects of oxidative stress modulating chemical agents on fatty acid synthesis as well as on cerulenin (antibiotic) susceptibility in Escherichia coli and Azotobacter vinelandii.
• Currently interested in, and engaged in HIV/AIDS research Dr. Keith Fowke’s laboratory.

• 2004 Morris Newman Memorial Award for First Term B.Sc.(Med) Presentation $1000

Determine the role of immunoglobulin G subtypes in HIV disease progression.

• 2002/4 NSERC National Studentship - $17,300
• 2003 Faculty of Graduate Studies Travel Award
• 2004 Canada Student Health Research Forum – Manitoba Poster Competition Prize
• 2005 Manitoba Medical Service Foundation Award for Excellence in Research by a Masters student. $1000.

Exploring the role of CD4 868T in mother to child transmission of HIV

Assessment of humoral immune responses to HIV elite controllers