Faculty

Amy L. Hartman, PhD Research Instructor Research Manager, Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, Center for Vaccine Research E-mail: hartman2@pitt.edu Phone: 412-648-8765 Fax: 412-648-8917 Address: 8038 BST 3 3501 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15261

Education

BA, Washington & Jefferson College; 1998
PhD, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine; 2003
Post-doctoral Fellowship, Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2003-2007

Research Interests

Pathogenesis of RNA viruses; viral virulence factors

Research Summary

My research interests are in studying the virulence mechanisms of highly pathogenic RNA viruses.  My post-doctoral research focused on viral virulence factors contributing to severe disease induced by infection with Ebola Zaire virus. I specifically studied two proteins of Ebola virus, VP35 and VP24, that inhibit the innate antiviral immune system.  Using reverse genetics, I created recombinant Ebola viruses containing mutations in specific domains responsible for immune evasion and evaluated the effect of these mutations on pathogenesis in the mouse model.  I also did additional work to characterize the rat disease model for  Rift Valley Fever virus.

As part of IDM and the CVR, I am interested in developing animal models for studying the pathogenesis of deadly bacterial and viral pathogens such as Avian Influenza, Monkeypox, and anthrax after aerosol infection.  The disease course and illness after aerosol exposure to these and other pathogens is unknown and is of considerable interest for biodefense.

Professional Experience

• Post-doctoral fellowship in the Special Pathogens Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• SL-3 and BSL-4 laboratory and animal experience
• Member of the Marburg Virus outbreak response team in Luanda, Angola 2005

Selected Publications

• Bird, B.H., J. Githinji, J. Macharia, J. Kasiiti, R.M. Muriithi, S.G. Gacheru, J.O. Musaa, J.S. Towner, S.A. Reeder, J.B. Oliver, T.L. Stevens, B.R. Erickson, L.T. Morgan, M.L. Khristova, A.L. Hartman, J.A. Comer, P.E. Rollin, T.G. Ksiazek, and S.T. Nichol. 2008. Multiple virus lineages sharing recent common ancestry were associated with a large Rift Valley fever outbreak among livestock in Kenya during 2006-2007. Journal of Virology 82(22):11152 - 11166.

• Bird, B.H., C. Albarino, A.L. Hartman, B. Erickson, T. Ksiazek, and S.T. Nichol. Rift Valley fever virus lacking the NSs and NSm genes is highly attenuated, confers protective immunity from virulent virus challenge and allows for differential identification of infected and vaccinated animals. 2008.  Journal of Virology. 82(6):2681-2691.

• Hartman, A.L., B.H. Bird, J.S. Towner, Z. Antoniadou, S. Zaki, and S.T. Nichol. 2008.  Inhibition of IRF-3 activation by VP35 is critical for the high virulence of Ebola virus. Journal of Virology82(6):2699-2704.

• Hartman, A.L., L. Ling, S.T. Nichol, and M.L. Hibberd.  Whole Genome Expression Profiling Reveals that Inhibition of the Host Innate Immune Response by Ebola Virus can be Reversed by a Single Amino Acid Change in the VP35 Protein.  Journal of Virology 82(11):5348-5358.
  

• Hartman, A. L., J. E. Dover, J. S. Towner, and S. T. Nichol. 2006. Reverse genetic generation of recombinant Zaire Ebola viruses containing disrupted IRF-3 inhibitory domains results in attenuated virus growth in vitro and higher levels of IRF-3 activation without inhibiting viral transcription or replication. Journal of Virology. 80(13):6430-6440.
  
  
• Towner, J. S., M. L. Khristova, M. Vincent, T. K. Sealy, B. R. Erickson, D. Bawiec, A. L. Hartman, A. Comer, S. Zaki, H. Feldmann, P. Rollin, T. G. Ksiazek, and S. T. Nichol. 2006. Emergence of Marburg Virus in Angola, West Africa. Journal of Virology. 80(13):6497-6516.
  
  
• Cárdenas, W. B., Y.-M. Loo, M. Gale Jr., A. L. Hartman, and C. F. Basler. 2006. Ebola virus VP35 protein binds dsRNA and inhibits interferon α/β production induced by RIG-I signaling. Journal of Virology. 80(11):5168-78.
  
  
• Reid, S.R., L. W. Leung, A. L. Hartman, O. Martinez, M. L. Shaw, C. Carbonnelle, V. E. Volchkov, S. T. Nichol, and C. F. Basler. 2006. Ebola virus VP24 Binds Karyopherin-alpha1 and Blocks STAT1 Nuclear Accumulation. Journal of Virology. 80(11):5156-67.
  
  
• Hartman, A. L., J. S. Towner, and S. T. Nichol. 2004. A C-terminal basic amino acid motif of Zaire ebolavirus VP35 is essential for type I interferon antagonism and displays high identity with the RNA-binding domain of another interferon antagonist, the NS1 protein of influenza A virus. Virology. 328:177-184.

Last Updated: May 15, 2009