PFRDG Presenting a Novel Vaccine Strategy against HIV-1
Mark Cayabyab Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in NSU’s College of Dental Medicine. He received a President’s Faculty Research and Development Grant (PFRDG) grant for his project titled “A novel vaccine strategy to elicit protective antibody responses against HIV-1.”
Tell me about your recent grant-funded project.
With this PFRDG grant we are developing a vaccine strategy against HIV/AIDS in collaboration with Dr. Vladimir Beljanski at NSU’s Center for Collaborative Research. Historically, since the beginning of the HIV epidemic in the 1980’s, there has been no effective vaccine. Our strategy is to develop a vaccine focusing on a particular aspect of HIV’s glycoprotein to prevent HIV infection.
Who is working with you on this project?
In my lab I have a post-doctoral, two undergraduate students and a research assistant. My co-investigator, Dr. Vladimir Beljanski is using adjuvant technology he developed to aid in this project. The adjuvant we plan on using is RNA-based with interesting properties that can stimulate the immune system.
What expertise do you each bring?
I have been working in the field of HIV conducting virology research for over 25 years. Dr. Beljanski has virology expertise, specifically in vaccine development.
How does this grant intersect with your work at NSU?
I have received NIH grant funding to develop different types of vaccine strategies for HIV and this PGDRF grant complements my work with the NIH.
What advice do you have for other grant seekers at NSU?
My advice is to think outside the box and come up with an important public health question that you are passionate about to pursue for funding. When writing proposals, never give up as it frequently takes more than one attempt to secure grant funding, but there are plenty of opportunities at both the federal level and in the private sector.
What is the next grant proposal or project on your agenda?
I currently have multiple ongoing studies under the PFRDG program, and in the future I hope to pursue any promising results we find with NIH funding.
What is the next step in this project?
We are beginning animal studies which investigate immune response to the vaccine we created. These studies are critical in assessing the preclinical safety and efficacy of our experimental vaccine.
What is your hope for the outcomes in this project and expanding on it in the future?
We are 40 years into the HIV pandemic but have yet to develop an effective vaccine. My hope is to find promising results as the vaccine strategy could be beneficial in preventing HIV.