Voluntary Faculty
Voluntary faculty are typically clinicians or others who are employed outside of the School but make significant contributions to department programs at the medical center or at affiliate institutions.
Voluntary rank detailsRobert Morrison, MD
Clinical InstructorAbout
Research
Publications
2025
Quantitative measures to assess the quality of cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing data
Sun J, Morrison R, Kim S, Yan K, Park H. Quantitative measures to assess the quality of cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing data. Frontiers In Bioinformatics 2025, 5: 1630161. DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2025.1630161.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCITE-seq dataCellular Indexing of TranscriptomesGene expressionSurface proteinsCharacterization of gene expressionCell typesProtein markersSurface protein abundanceExpression of genesSequence dataClassification of cell typesProtein abundanceSurface protein markersCITE-seqGenesCellular indicesIndividual cellsTranscriptomeProteinQuality controlExpressionCellsBiological findingsEpitopesMarkersA Vaccine to Block Plasmodium falciparum Transmission.
Healy S, Sagara I, Assadou M, Katile A, Kone M, Imeru A, Kwan J, Swihart B, Fintzi J, Potter G, Zeguimé A, Dolo A, Diarra B, Narum D, Rausch K, MacDonald N, Zhu D, Mohan R, Thera I, Morrison R, Zaidi I, Doritchamou J, Sylla D, Hume J, Coulibaly M, Morelle D, Lievens M, Doumbo O, Duffy P. A Vaccine to Block Plasmodium falciparum Transmission. NEJM Evidence 2025, 4: evidoa2400188. PMID: 40552966, DOI: 10.1056/evidoa2400188.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsStandard membrane feeding assayPfs230D1-EPASafety trialsAntibody responseEnd pointsSkin feeding assaysTransmission-reducing activityWeeks of follow-upMembrane feeding assaysAs-treated populationPrimary efficacy analysisSecondary end pointsPrimary end pointInfected mosquitoesEnzyme-linked immunosorbent assayMalian adultsMalaria vaccineComparator-controlledDouble-blindProportion of infected mosquitoesDosing regimensEfficacy analysisThird doseYears postvaccinationBlock disease transmissionSARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) Protein–Protein Conjugate Induces Similar or Better Antibody Responses as Spike mRNA in Rhesus Macaques
Scaria P, Rowe C, Kosik I, Hu Z, Renn J, Alani N, Kemanli P, Orr-Gonzalez S, Lambert L, Adeyemi K, Doritchamou J, Barnafo E, Rausch K, Muslinkina L, Morrison R, Todd J, Esposito D, Lees A, Yewdell J, Duffy P. SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) Protein–Protein Conjugate Induces Similar or Better Antibody Responses as Spike mRNA in Rhesus Macaques. Vaccines 2025, 13: 648. PMID: 40573979, PMCID: PMC12197534, DOI: 10.3390/vaccines13060648.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchVirus neutralizing activityMRNA vaccinesAntibody responseReceptor-binding domainSARS-CoV-2Rhesus macaquesNeutralizing activityIgG subclass profileEnhanced antibody responseReceptor binding inhibitionDevelopment of vaccinesPolyclonal immune seraVaccine platformSubclass profileClinical trialsSARS-CoV-2 spike proteinTarget antigenAntibody avidityVariants of SARS-CoV-2Efficacious vaccinesMultiple time pointsImmune serumEarly vaccinationSARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domainVaccine
2024
Neoadjuvant vidutolimod and nivolumab in high-risk resectable melanoma: A prospective phase II trial
Davar D, Morrison R, Dzutsev A, Karunamurthy A, Chauvin J, Amatore F, Deutsch J, Das Neves R, Rodrigues R, McCulloch J, Wang H, Hartman D, Badger J, Fernandes M, Bai Y, Sun J, Cole A, Aggarwal P, Fang J, Deitrick C, Bao R, Duvvuri U, Sridharan S, Kim S, A Choudry H, Holtzman M, Pingpank J, O'Toole J, DeBlasio R, Jin Y, Ding Q, Gao W, Groetsch C, Pagliano O, Rose A, Urban C, Singh J, Divarkar P, Mauro D, Bobilev D, Wooldridge J, Krieg A, Fury M, Whiteaker J, Zhao L, Paulovich A, Najjar Y, Luke J, Kirkwood J, Taube J, Park H, Trinchieri G, Zarour H. Neoadjuvant vidutolimod and nivolumab in high-risk resectable melanoma: A prospective phase II trial. Cancer Cell 2024, 42: 1898-1918.e12. PMID: 39486411, PMCID: PMC11560503, DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2024.10.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPlasmacytoid dendritic cellsHigh-risk resected melanomaResected melanomaCD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytesAnti-PD-1 nivolumabAnti-tumor immune responseProspective phase II trialAnti-PD-1Associated with gene signaturesTumor-infiltrating lymphocytesPhase II trialResponse to therapySingle-arm studyAssociated with necrosisGut microbiotaClinical responseII trialPrimary endpointDendritic cellsTLR9 agonistsTumor microenvironmentT cellsMyeloid cellsPathological responseImmune activationSafety and efficacy of PfSPZ Vaccine against malaria in healthy adults and women anticipating pregnancy in Mali: two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 and 2 trials
Diawara H, Healy S, Mwakingwe-Omari A, Issiaka D, Diallo A, Traore S, Soumbounou I, Gaoussou S, Zaidi I, Mahamar A, Attaher O, Fried M, Wylie B, Mohan R, Doan V, Doritchamou J, Dolo A, Morrison R, Wang J, Hu Z, Rausch K, Zeguime A, Murshedkar T, Natasha K, Sim B, Billingsley P, Richie T, Hoffman S, Dicko A, Duffy P, Team P, Traore M, Samassekou M, Dicko O, N'Diaye O, Sidibe Y, Niambele S, Diarra K, Cisse K, Diarra I, Niangaly A, Diarra B, Bengaly K, Doucoure M, Dembele A, Samake I, Diarra B, Lane J, Gorres J, Marte-Salcedo O, Tran D, Neal J, Bah A, Gupta M, Abebe Y, James E, Manoj A. Safety and efficacy of PfSPZ Vaccine against malaria in healthy adults and women anticipating pregnancy in Mali: two randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1 and 2 trials. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 2024, 24: 1366-1382. PMID: 39153490, PMCID: PMC12117479, DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(24)00360-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPfSPZ VaccineArtemether-lumefantrineClinical malariaAdverse eventsVaccine efficacyVaccine doseWeeks 0Before doseNeonatal outcomesAntimalarial treatmentDouble-blindMalaria seasonSaline placeboSaline groupVaccine groupFollow-upBooster doseModified intention-to-treat populationBlock randomisationHuman chorionic gonadotropin testIntention-to-treat populationTransmission seasonFrequency of adverse eventsPlasmodium falciparum parasitaemiaMalaria transmission seasonA novel locus in CSMD1 gene is associated with increased susceptibility to severe malaria in Malian children
Damena D, Barry A, Morrison R, Gaoussou S, Mahamar A, Attaher O, Issiaka D, Dicko Y, Dicko A, Duffy P, Fried M. A novel locus in CSMD1 gene is associated with increased susceptibility to severe malaria in Malian children. Frontiers In Genetics 2024, 15: 1390786. PMID: 38854427, PMCID: PMC11157005, DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1390786.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGenome-wide association studiesSingle nucleotide polymorphismsMinor allele frequencySevere malariaMalian childrenLinkage disequilibriumAssociated with increased susceptibility to malariaCSMD1 geneSusceptibility to severe malariaMalaria disease severityPlasmodium falciparum malariaSusceptibility to malariaHost genetic factorsAssociated with protectionAssociated with increased oddsRecessive mode of inheritanceLogistic regression analysisFalciparum malariaMalaria pathogenesisMode of inheritanceGWA studiesClinical presentationOdds of SMAssociation studiesCandidate genesSanger sequencing and deconvolution of polyclonal infections: a quantitative approach to monitor drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum
Maiga H, Morrison R, Duffy P. Sanger sequencing and deconvolution of polyclonal infections: a quantitative approach to monitor drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. EBioMedicine 2024, 103: 105115. PMID: 38636200, PMCID: PMC11031737, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105115.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDrug resistance genesNational Institutes of HealthBill & Melinda Gates FoundationPlasmodium falciparumAnti-malarial drug resistanceDrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparumSanger sequencingSanger sequencing of PCR ampliconsAnti-malarial resistanceAntimalarial drug sensitivityMalaria-endemic regionsNational Institute of AllergySequencing of PCR ampliconsInstitute of AllergyPfdhps allelesPfdhps genesUS National Institutes of HealthPublic health problemPolyclonal infectionsSequencing chromatogramsField samplesPopulation-based surveyDrug sensitivityMelinda Gates FoundationDrug resistanceStructure-guided design of VAR2CSA-based immunogens and a cocktail strategy for a placental malaria vaccine
Ma R, Salinas N, Orr-Gonzalez S, Richardson B, Ouahes T, Torano H, Jenkins B, Dickey T, Neal J, Duan J, Morrison R, Gittis A, Doritchamou J, Zaidi I, Lambert L, Duffy P, Tolia N. Structure-guided design of VAR2CSA-based immunogens and a cocktail strategy for a placental malaria vaccine. PLOS Pathogens 2024, 20: e1011879. PMID: 38437239, PMCID: PMC10939253, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011879.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPlacental malaria vaccinesMalaria vaccineAccumulation of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytesInfected erythrocytesAccumulation of infected erythrocytesPlasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytesChondroitin sulfate AMalaria vaccine antigensFalciparum-infected erythrocytesLow birth weightPlacental malariaMaternal anemiaPlacental accumulationVAR2CSABirth weightDesign immunogensPregnancy lossVaccination strategiesVaccine antigensStable immunogensImmunogenicityCocktail strategyPrevent adhesionStructure-guided designAntibodies
2023
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Gene Expression Associated With Fluoroquinolone Resistance and Efflux Pump Inhibition
van der Heijden Y, Maruri F, Blackman A, Morrison R, Guo Y, Sterling T. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Gene Expression Associated With Fluoroquinolone Resistance and Efflux Pump Inhibition. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2023, 228: 469-478. PMID: 37079382, PMCID: PMC10428193, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad112.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsExpression quantitative trait lociExpression quantitative trait loci analysisOfloxacin minimum inhibitory concentrationMinimum inhibitory concentrationWhole-genome sequencingRNA-seqEfflux pump inhibitionMTB isolatesGene expressionAllele frequency differencesQuantitative trait lociFluoroquinolone resistanceFold changePump inhibitionGenome sequenceFluoroquinolone-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosisTrait lociRegulated genesAntituberculosis drug resistanceRNA sequencingEfflux pumpsEfflux pump inhibitor verapamilIncreased gene expressionGenesInhibitory concentration