Myron Essex

Get in Touch

Email: messex@hsph.harvard.edu

Education

Crossed Appointments

Honors and Awards

Patents

• HTLV-I and HTLV-II envelope proteins gp45, gp61 for diagnostics and vaccines
• HTLV envelope peptides for diagnostic distinction of types I and II
• HIV-1 envelope proteins gp120 and gp160 for diagnostics and vaccines
• Gene therapy designs based on HIV-1 gag p17 protein
• Vaccine design based on selective genetic deglycosylation
• HIV-2 antigens for blood test screening
• Early detection of hepatitis B
• Salivary antibody tests for HIV
• Synthetic peptides for HIV diagnosis
• HIV-1 vpu to distinguish from HIV-2
• Drug design for HIV entry

Publications

1. Lin, N., Becerril, C., Giguel, F., Novitsky, V., Moyo, S., Makhema, J., Essex, M., Lockman, S., Kuritzkes, D.R., and Sagar, M. Env sequence determinants in CXCR4-using human immunodeficiency virus type-1 subtype C. Virology. 433: 296-307 (2012). PMCID: PMC3616623.
2. Powis, K.M., McElrath, T.F., Hughes, M.D., Ogwu, A., Souda, S., Datwyler, S.A.,Widenfelt, E., Moyo, S., Nadas, M., Makhema, J., Machakaire, E., Lockman, S., Essex, M., and Shapiro, R.L. High Viral Load and Elevated Angiogenic Markers Associated with Increased Risk of Preeclampsia among Women Initiating Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Pregnancy in the Mma Bana Study, Botswana. J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. ¬62:517-524 (2013). PMCID: PMC3683097.
3. Wang, R., Weng, J., Moyo, S., Pain, D., Barr, C.D., Maruapua, D., Mongwato, D., Makhema, J., Novitsky, V., and Essex, M. Short Communication: Effect of Short Course Antenatal Zidovundine and Single Dose Nevirapine on the BED Capture Enzyme Immunoassay Levels in HIV-1 Subtype-C Inefection. AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses. 29:901-6 (2013). PMCID: PMC3653368.
4. Rossenkhan, R., MacLeod, I.J., Sebunya, T.K., Castro-Nallar, E., McLane, M.F., Musonda, R., Gashe, B.A., Novitsky, V., and Essex, M. tat Exon 1 Exhibits Functional Diversity during HIV-1 Subtype C Primary Infection. J. Virol. 87:5732-45 (2013). PMCID: PMC3648179.
5. McDonald, B., Moyo, S., Gabaitiri, L., Gaseitsiwe, S., Bussmann, H., Koethe, J.R., Musonda, R., Makhema, J., Novitsky, V., Marlink, R., Wester, C.W., and Essex, M. Persistently Elevated Serum Interleukin-6 Predicts Mortality among Adults Receiving Combination Antiretroviral Therapy in Botswana: Results from a Clinical Trial. AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses. 29:993-9 (2013). PMCID: PMC3685692.
6. Kiwelu, I., Novitsky, V., Margolin, L., Baca, J., Manongi, R., Sam, N., Shao, J., McLane, M.F., Kapiga, S.H., and Essex, M. Frequent Intra-Subtype Recombination among HIV-1 Circulating in Tanzania. PLoS One. 8:e71131 (2013). PMCID: PMC3733632.
7. Dryden-Peterson, S., Jayeoba, O., Hughes, M., Jibril, H., McIntosh, K., Modise, T., Asmelash, A., Powis, K., Essex, M., Shapiro, R., Lockman, S. Cotrimoxazole Prophylaxis and Risk of Severe Anemia or Severe Neutropenia in HAART-Exposed, HIV-Uninfected Infants. PLoS One. 8:e74171 (2013). PMCID: PMC3781096.
8. Souda, S., Gaseitsiwe, S., Georgette, N., Powis, K., Moremedi, D., Iketleng, T., Leidner, J., Moffat, C., Ogwu, A., Lockman, S., Moyo, S., Mmalane, M., Musonda, R., Makhema, J., Essex, M., and Shapiro, R. No Clinically Significant Drug-Resistance Mutations In HIV-1 subtype C-Infected Women After Discontinuation Of NRTI-Based Or PI-Based HAART For PMTCT In Botswana. J. Acquir. Immune Defic. Syndr. 63:572-77 (2013). PMCID: PMC3762949.
9. Shapiro, R.L., Rossi, S., Ogwu, A., Moss, M., Leidner, J., Moffat, C., Lockman, S., Moyo, S., Makhema, J., Essex, M., and Capparelli, E. Therapeutic levels of Lopinavir in Late Pregnancy, and Abacavir Passage into Breast Milk, in the Mma Bana Study, Botswana. Antivir. Ther. 18:585-90 (2013). PMC Journal – In Process.
10. Novitsky, V., Wang, R., Rossenkhan, R., Moyo, S., and Essex, M. Intra-Host Evolutionary rates in HIV-1C env and gag During Primary Infection. Infect. Gen. Evol. 19:361-8 (2013). PMCID: PMC3759599.
11. Shapiro, R.L., Kitch, D., Ogwu, A., Hughes, M.D., Lockman, S., Powis, K., Souda, S., Moffat, C., Moyo, S., McIntosh, K., Van Widenfelt, E., Zwerski, C., Mazhani, L., Makhema, J., and Essex, M. HIV Transmission and 24-month Survival in a Randomized Trial of HAART to Prevent MTCT During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding in Botswana. AIDS. 27:1911-20 (2013). PMC Journal – In Process.
12. Baum, M.K., Campa, A., Lai, S., Sales, S., Tsalaile, L., Burns, P., Farahani, M. Li, Y., VanWidenfelt, E., Page, J.B., Bussman, H., Fawzi, W.W., Moyo, S., Makhema, J., Thior, I., Essex, M., and Marlink, R. Effect of Micronutrient Supplementation on Disease Progression in Asymptomatic, Antiretroviral-Naïve, HIV-Infected Adults in Botswana: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 310:2154-63 (2013). PMC Journal – In Process.
13. Novitsky, V., Bussmann, H., Logan, A., Moyo, S., van Widenfelt, E., Okui, L., Mmalane, M., Baca, J., Buck, L., Phillips, E., Tim, D., McLane, M.F., Lei, Q., Wang, R., Makhema, J., Lockman, S., DeGruttola, V., and Essex, M. Phylogenetic Relatedness of Circulating HIV-1C Variants in Mochudi, Botswana. PLoS One. 8:e80589 (2013). PMCID: PMC3859477.
14. Moyo, S., LeCuyer, T., Wang, R., Gaseitsiwe, S., Weng, J., Musonda, R., Bussmann, H., Mine, M., Engelbrecht, S., Makhema, J., Marlink, R., Baum, M.K., Novitsky, V., and Essex, M. Evaluation of the False Recent Classification Rates of Multassay Algorithms in Estimating HIV Type 1 Subtype C Incidence. AIDS Res. Hum. Retroviruses. 30:29-36 (2014). PMCID: PMC3887420.