Co-Lead, Community Development and Education Core, MISM
Assoc. Professor in Surgery, Duke
Justin Pollara, PhD, Core Co-Lead, is an Associate Professor in Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine, a member of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and the Duke Center for Human Systems Immunology, and is Associate Director of the Duke Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Developmental Core. He received his PhD from North Carolina State University and completed his postdoctoral training as a recipient of the Duke NIH Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in AIDS (IRTPA) T32 award in the laboratory of Dr. Guido Ferrari. A common theme of research in Dr. Pollara’s laboratory is the study of interactions between innate and adaptive immunity. His work has significantly contributed to understanding the roles of non-neutralizing antibodies in limiting HIV-1 disease progression and in preventing infection or controlling viral replication in preclinical and clinical HIV-1 vaccine trials. Dr. Pollara’s research has also identified specific components of the immune response that reduce the risk of vertical transmission of both HIV-1 and human cytomegalovirus. His laboratory characterizes the phenotype and functionality of antibody-interacting innate immune cells and explores how natural genetic variation in antibodies and antibody receptors may contribute to vaccine responsiveness and immune competence.
Dr. Pollara will serve as a co-lead of the MISM Community Development and Education Core (CDEC). He is well qualified for this role, as he has a history of mentorship and research success, having received awards from private foundations and, with consistent NIH grant support, has served as PI on an R21, K01, R01, and P01 Core. He has served on multiple NIH Study Sections, where he has reviewed a range of funding mechanisms, including R21, R34, K01, SBIR/STTR, R01, and large U/P program grants. Dr. Pollara currently mentors two postdoctoral associates and recently graduated a MD/PhD candidate. He serves as a thesis committee member for several graduate students, is a Faculty Mentor for the Duke NIH IRTPA T32 Grant Program, and mentors a junior faculty member who received a CFAR New Investigator Award at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Pollara has received formal training to develop his mentorship and advising skills by completing the Duke Leadership Development for Researchers Course, participating in the UCSF CFAR Mentoring the Mentors Workshop, and the National CFAR ESI Mentoring Workshop. As Associate Director of the Duke CFAR, Dr. Pollara trains postdocs and ESIs in grant proposal development and the grant review process.
Dr. Pollara and his co-lead, Dr. Pomann, will be jointly responsible for prioritizing core activities, ensuring the proposed activities and goals of the core are achieved, and they will regularly interact with overall program leads Dr. Keith Reeves and Dr. Cliburn Chan to ensure that CDEC activities align with the overall direction and goals of the MISM.