James Hassell
Assistant Professor Adjunct of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)Cards
Contact Info
About
Titles
Assistant Professor Adjunct of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases)
Biography
James Hassell BVetMed MSc PhD is an epidemiologist and wildlife veterinarian with the Smithsonian's Global Health Program. His research interests focus on disease transmission between wildlife, livestock and humans in natural and urban settings in Africa, and using technological advances (both geospatial and diagnostic) to determine how transfer of pathogens between species is determined by the ecosystems they inhabit. Such evidence is crucial to securing healthier and more resilient populations of humans and animals. As a conservationist, he also works to improve the health of endangered species (including rhino and Old World vultures) and support African veterinarians through training programs in conservation medicine. He is currently enrolled in a European College of Zoological Medicine residency program in the specialty of Wildlife Population Health.
Appointments
Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
Assistant Professor AdjunctPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases
- Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases (EMD)
- Yale School of Public Health
- Yale School of Public Health - NEW
Research
Overview
Public Health Interests
Zoonotic Diseases
ORCID
0000-0002-8336-4875
Publications
2024
Olfactory and trigeminal routes of HSV-1 CNS infection with regional microglial heterogeneity
Niemeyer C, Merle L, Bubak A, Baxter B, Gentile Polese A, Colon-Reyes K, Vang S, Hassell J, Bruce K, Nagel M, Restrepo D. Olfactory and trigeminal routes of HSV-1 CNS infection with regional microglial heterogeneity. Journal Of Virology 2024, 98: e00968-24. PMID: 39475273, PMCID: PMC11575344, DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00968-24.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsCentral nervous systemHerpes simplex virus type 1Trigeminal ganglionVirus type 1Olfactory epitheliumHSV-1Locus coeruleusHSV-1 CNS infectionBrain regionsImmune responseResponse to HSV-1Microglial activationType 1Spread of HSV-1Absence of viral antigenHSV-1 antigenHSV-1 spreadHSV-1 infectionC57BL/6 mouse modelCranial nerve nucleiResponse of macrophagesInflammatory response of macrophagesCNS infectionRaphe nucleusNasal epitheliaPharmacological stimulation of infralimbic cortex after fear conditioning facilitates subsequent fear extinction
Bayer H, Hassell J, Oleksiak C, Garcia G, Vaughan H, Juliano V, Maren S. Pharmacological stimulation of infralimbic cortex after fear conditioning facilitates subsequent fear extinction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024, 49: 1951-1957. PMID: 39138373, PMCID: PMC11480363, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01961-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMedial prefrontal cortexFear conditioningConditioned freezingConditioned stimulusExtinction of conditioned fear memoryConsolidation of fear conditioningExtinction of conditioned fearAuditory conditioned stimulusConditioned fear memoryGABAA receptor antagonistExtinction trainingExtinction learningPicrotoxin infusionConditioned fearFear extinctionInfralimbic cortexPrefrontal cortexFear suppressionInhibitory memoryFear memoryExtinction retrievalPicrotoxin injectionNeuronal plasticityFemale ratsReceptor antagonistSuppression of the host antiviral response by non-infectious varicella zoster virus extracellular vesicles
Niemeyer C, Frietze S, Coughlan C, Lewis S, Lopez S, Saviola A, Hansen K, Medina E, Hassell J, Kogut S, Traina-Dorge V, Nagel M, Bruce K, Restrepo D, Mahalingam R, Bubak A. Suppression of the host antiviral response by non-infectious varicella zoster virus extracellular vesicles. Journal Of Virology 2024, 98: e00848-24. PMID: 39051773, PMCID: PMC11334484, DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00848-24.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsVaricella zoster virusVZV pathogenesisVaricella zoster virus infectionSmall extracellular vesiclesZoster virusExtracellular vesiclesSensory neuronsHost antiviral responseHost immune evasion strategyMulti-omics approachHuman sensory neuronsReduce systemic complicationsUnilateral dermatomal distributionVZV-infected neuronsCell-cell contactEvasion strategiesGanglion sensory neuronsType 1 interferon responseSusceptibility to co-infectionImmune-evasion mechanismsImmune evasion strategiesSite of infectionViral spreadHost proteinsBacterial pathogensHippocampal Engrams and Contextual Memory
Vasudevan K, Hassell J, Maren S. Hippocampal Engrams and Contextual Memory. Advances In Neurobiology 2024, 38: 45-66. PMID: 39008010, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62983-9_4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsContextual fear conditioningFear conditioningFear memoryRetrieval of contextual fear memoryRetrieval of aversive memoriesNeural substrates of memoryPost-traumatic stress disorderContextual fear memorySubstrate of memoryActivity-dependent taggingRetrieval of eventsAversive memoryEncoding contextStress disorderContextual stimuliNeural substratesMemory ensemblesHippocampal ensemblesNeuronal mechanismsContextual learningHippocampusMemoryFearRetrievalEncodingHigh-fat diet, microbiome-gut-brain axis signaling, and anxiety-like behavior in male rats
de Noronha S, de Moraes L, Hassell J, Stamper C, Arnold M, Heinze J, Foxx C, Lieb M, Cler K, Karns B, Jaekel S, Loupy K, Silva F, Chianca-Jr. D, Lowry C, de Menezes R. High-fat diet, microbiome-gut-brain axis signaling, and anxiety-like behavior in male rats. Biological Research 2024, 57: 23. PMID: 38705984, PMCID: PMC11071217, DOI: 10.1186/s40659-024-00505-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDefensive behavioral responsesSerotonergic gene expressionDorsal raphe nucleusSlc6a4 mRNA expressionBehavioral responsesMicrobiome-gut-brainRaphe nucleusAnxiety-related behavioral responsesBrain serotonergic systemSerotonergic brain systemAnxiety-like behaviorMale ratsAxis signalingHigh-fat dietBrain systemsSerotonergic systemAssociated with stressCommunity compositionGut microbiomeGene expressionAbundance of BlautiaHTR1AGut microbiome diversityTPH2SLC6A4Neural circuits for the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memory
Plas S, Tuna T, Bayer H, Juliano V, Sweck S, Perez A, Hassell J, Maren S. Neural circuits for the adaptive regulation of fear and extinction memory. Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience 2024, 18: 1352797. PMID: 38370858, PMCID: PMC10869525, DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1352797.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsRegulation of fearExtinction learningExtinction memoryFear memoryNeural mechanismsExtinction of Pavlovian fear conditioningRegulation of fear memoryNeural circuitsPrefrontal-hippocampal interactionsMedial prefrontal cortexExposure-based therapyPavlovian fear conditioningThalamic nucleus reuniensStress-related disordersEffects of stressPrefrontal cortexFear conditioningContextual controlNucleus reuniensAdaptive behaviorAdaptive regulationClinical implicationsMemoryRodent modelsPharmacological interventions