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Spyros Kalams, MD
Director Laboratory Sciences Core, Tennessee Center for AIDS Research; Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology
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Biography
Biography
Dr. Kalam’s laboratory specializes in understanding cellular immune responses directed against intracellular pathogens. In addition to determining the phenotype and function of pathogen specific T cells, they have extensively determined the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of epitope-specific T cells. They evaluated T cell receptor usage of HIV-specific T cells and determined that individual T cell clonotypes can display distinct T cell phenotypes, and that the T cell receptor and phenotype of individual T cells is related to the degree of cross-reactivity to circulating virus epitope variants. They have applied this expertise toward the study of chronic CMV infection and T lymphocytes from adipose tissue. He is the director of the Laboratory Sciences Core (LSC) of the Tennessee CFAR. The LSC performs several unique services for CFAR investigators. These include isolation and storage of cells from blood and tissues and staining of cells for flow cytometry (both fluorescence and mass cytometry). In addition to performing the assays, the LSC provides data interpretation, helps generate figures, and provides access to data visualization tools such as viSNE. No other such core facility exists at Vanderbilt and Meharry, and this unique resource has allowed investigators without prior laboratory training to develop robust translational research programs. Over the prior grant period the LSC developed assays for staining and single cell sorting of rare B and T cell subsets, and through tight integration with the VANTAGE core, visualization of complex single cell RNA transcriptomic data. In anticipation of increased demand of our immunology and genomics services, as well as the generation of increasingly complex data sets, the LSC has added individuals with significant bioinformatics expertise, including Ivelin Georgiev (B cell and antibodies) and Suman Das (Virology and microbiome). He will build on the model they have already established with the LSC; his group will work with this team over the next award cycle to ensure CFAR investigators have full access to services that prepare samples for analysis, as well as provide downstream analysis and interpretation of data. This “continuum of support” model has been remarkably successful at removing barriers to usage of laboratory services.
More About Spyros Kalams, MD
My laboratory specializes in understanding cellular immune responses directed against intracellular pathogens.In addition to determining the phenotype and function of pathogen specific T cells, we have extensivelydetermined the T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of epitope-specific T cells (detailed in section C). We evaluated T cell receptor usage of HIV-specific T cells and determined that individual T cell clonotypes can display distinct T cell phenotypes (1), and that the T cell receptor and phenotype of individual T cells is related to thedegree of cross-reactivity to circulating virus epitope variants (2). We have applied this expertise toward the study of chronic CMV infection (3) and T lymphocytes from adipose tissue (4).
I am the director of the Laboratory Sciences Core (LSC) of the Tennessee CFAR. The LSC performsseveral unique services for CFAR investigators. These include isolation and storage of cells from blood and tissues and staining of cells for flow cytometry (both fluorescence and mass cytometry). In addition to performing the assays, the LSC provides data interpretation, helps generate figures, and provides access to data visualization tools such as viSNE. No other such core facility exists at Vanderbilt and Meharry, and thisunique resource has allowed investigators without prior laboratory training to develop robust translationalresearch programs. Over the prior grant period the LSC developed assays for staining and single cell sorting of rare B and T cell subsets, and through tight integration with the VANTAGE core, visualization of complex singlecell RNA transcriptomic data. In anticipation of increased demand of our immunology and genomics services,as well as the generation of increasingly complex data sets, the LSC has added individuals with significantbioinformatics expertise, including Ivelin Georgiev (B cell and antibodies) and Suman Das (Virology and microbiome). I will build on the model we have already established with the LSC;my group will work withthis team over the next award cycle to ensure CFAR investigators have full access to services thatprepare samples for analysis, as well as provide downstream analysis and interpretation of data. This “continuum of support” model has been remarkably successful at removing barriers to usage of laboratory services.