Andrew Russo Email & Phone Number

New York, Ny, Us

New York, Ny, Us

Pre-clinical testing of medical countermeasures to infectious diseases with emphasis on viruses of interest in national defense and global public health.• Experienced in conduct of pivotal studies of vaccines and antiviral drugs in a GLP environment to be used in regulatory filings.• Directed teams of more than 15 individuals to complete multi-million dollar antiviral drug and vaccine efficacy programs on time and within budget.Infectious disease animal model development.• Experienced in multiple animal models of viral and fungal infection in small animals and NHP’s under ABSL-2 and ABSL- 3 enhanced containment levels.• Established two new models of distinct viral diseases and defined primary clinical endpoints for use in evaluation of medical countermeasures to these pathogens.Prepared proposals for submission to private industry and government sponsors for applied research contracts.

• Developed an improved phospho-human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) ELISA protocol that decreased reagent cost 50% compared to previous company protocol.• Produced milligram quantities of pan-HER ligand mutants in E. coli culture and purified soluble protein to >90%.• Directed laboratory technicians in the expression and characterization of mutant EGF pan-HER dominant negative ligand candidates and evaluation of candidate biological activity. • Prepared National Cancer Institute SBIR Phase I research plan for the development of cancer treatments based on engineering dominant negative ligands for fibroblast growth factor 2.• Designed point-mutations and deletion mutants in an epidermal growth factor based pan-HER ligand based on published studies of EGF mutants and examination of the EGF-EGFR crystal structure. • Developed a homology model of the heregulin-HER3 complex based on the published EGF-EGFR complex that was used to design point mutations in EGF to modulate binding to HER3.• Evaluated purity and quantity of pan-HER ligand mutants. • Identified anti-cancer pan-HER antagonists by screening over two dozen mutant EGF pan-HER dominant negative ligand candidates for receptor affinity and biological activity. • Developed polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugation protocol to modify, which led to production of PEG-pan-HER dominant negative ligand constructs with improved pharmacological properties.

Postdoctoral Fellow nsP2 protease of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus • Cloned, purified and biochemically characterized the nsP2 protease.• Solved the X-ray crystal structure of nsP2 protease (first nsP2 protease structure; novel fold identified).• Identified substrate specificity determinants from structural and molecular dynamic calculations.• High-throughput screening of nsP2 protease for potential inhibitors.ns3 protease from dengue virus• Identified small molecule inhibitors from in silico screening of ns3 protease• Designed cell-culture and in vitro assays to evaluate potency of predicted inhibitors.

Postdoctoral Fellow FK506-binding protein (FKBP12)• Expressed and purified FKBP12. • Investegated effects of osmolytes on FKBP12 stability (kinetic and thermodynamic characterization). Ribonuclease T1 (RNase T1)• Expressed and purified RNase T1.• Completed differential scanning calorimetry and urea denaturation studies.• Determined rank order of stabilization efficacy of protective osmolytes .

Responsibilities included isoelectric focusing of unbleached bovine rhodopsin, silver stain of gels and laser densitometry to quantitate the different phosphorylation states present in the sample. Also responsible for quantitative assay of protein, lipid, and cholesterol in density gradient fractions of bovine rod cell outer segment membrane preparations

Phd, Biology

Ms, Biology

Ba, Biology/Chemistry Minor

Hs Diploma