Enrolling and retaining high risk women in HIV prevention/vaccine trials.

Awards

Gary Vernon Ralph "Humanism in Medicine" Award, Yale University School of Medicine, June 1999

The Edward Kass Award for Clinical Excellence, Massachusetts Infectious Disease Society, January 2001

Funded Research

1. A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Probe Study With an Additional Open-Label Control Arm to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of a 3-Dose Regimen of the MRKAd5 HIV-1 gag Vaccine in Subjects With Chronic Hepatitis C (Merck 022)
Principal Investigator: Melissa M. Gaitanis, MD
3/04- : $86,058

2. A Phase I Dose Ranging Study of the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of a 3-Dose Regimen of the MRKAd5 HIV-1 Trigene and the MRKAd6 HIV-1 Trigene Vaccines Alone and in Combination in Healthy Adults (Merck V526-001)
Principal Investigator: Melissa M. Gaitanis, MD
4/05- : $90,360

3. A Multicenter, Open-label, Controlled Phase II Study to Evaluate Safety and Immunogenicity of MVA-BN® (IMVAMUNETM) Smallpox Vaccine in 18-55 Year Old Naive and Previously Vaccinated HIV Infected Subjects with CD4 counts ³200 – 500/µl (Bavarian Nordic, POX-MVA-011)
Principal Investigator: Melissa M. Gaitanis, MD
Start Date (Projected): 6/06

Teaching Experience

Brown University School of Medicine

2005-present Co-Course Leader: Brown Medical School-Biomed 351. Integrated Pathophysiology: Infectious Diseases and Organ System Pharmacology: Anti-Infective Agents

2001-present Lecture for Biomed 351: "The Immunocompromised Host"

2005-present Lecture for Biomed 351: "Central Nervous System Infections"

University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy

2004-present Lecture for Infectious Diseases Pathophysiology: "HIV 101"

Courses Taught

• Integrated Pathophysiology: Infectious Diseases and Organ System Pharmacology: Anti-Infective Agents (Biomed 351)