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Brander, Christian
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ICREA Research Professor at IRSICAIXA (IrsiCaixa). Life & Medical Sciences
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After a PhD in Immunology at the University of Bern in 1994, Christian Brander spent 13 years at Harvard University. There, he focused on the cellular immunity to viral infections and the impact that host genetics have on this immune response. He coordinated a number of multi-national research programs in different countries, including South Africa, Peru and Barbados, which provided crucial insights into the natural course of HIV infection and viral co-evolution. In 2008, he joined ICREA with an appointment at the Irsicaixa AIDS Research Institute at. He is also the scientific director of HIVACAT, a Catalan program for the development of a HIV vaccine.
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Research Interest
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The work focuses on the immunity to viral infections in the immune compromised host, including HIV infected subjects and individuals undergoing organ transplantation. Using a combination of in-vitro test systems and ex-vivo immune analyses in samples from HIV infected individuals, we aim to identify regions of the virus that are especially suitable for inclusion into a future HIV vaccine and try to better define the critical characteristics (strength, breadth, avidity, cross-reactivity) of an effective T cell response to HIV. In a second line of work, the lab addresses the immune reactivity to viral co-infections, including EBV, CMV and HCV, particularly in HIV-infected solid organ transplant recipients.
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KeyWords
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HIV, cellular immunity, host genetics, viral evolution, viral immunity in solid organ transplantation
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ERC Codes
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Genetics, genomics, bioinformatics & systems biology, Medical and health science research
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