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
2026
Antibody levels to variant and conserved Plasmodium falciparum antigens predict reduction in parasite burden in Malian children
Damena D, Dang L, Barry A, Renn J, Gaoussou S, Mahamar A, Attaher O, Issiaka D, Morrison R, Misal S, Dicko A, Duffy P, Fried M. Antibody levels to variant and conserved Plasmodium falciparum antigens predict reduction in parasite burden in Malian children. Frontiers In Immunology 2026, 16: 1745097. PMID: 41607793, PMCID: PMC12835252, DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1745097.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpsonic phagocytosisAntibody levelsPlasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytesSemi-immune childrenPlasmodium falciparum antigensPlasma samplesTargets of immunityFalciparum antigensMalian childrenMalaria diseaseParasite densityParasite burdenLowest tertileYoung childrenAntibodiesPhagocytosis indexHigh parasite burdensMalariaOlder childrenPlasmodiumFunctional studiesInfectionChildrenIP-MSPfEMP1Epitope-specific competitive ELISA predicts malaria transmission-blocking vaccine Pfs230D1 activity measured in standard membrane feeding assay
Meehan C, Cowles M, Morrison R, Yi Y, Gu J, Hume J, Peyton M, Sagara I, Healy S, Renn J, Duffy P. Epitope-specific competitive ELISA predicts malaria transmission-blocking vaccine Pfs230D1 activity measured in standard membrane feeding assay. JCI Insight 2026, 11: e198414. PMID: 41477759, PMCID: PMC12892893, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.198414.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsStandard membrane feeding assayTransmission-reducing activityTransmission-blocking vaccinesMembrane feeding assaysMalaria transmission-blocking vaccinePostvaccination time pointsEpitope-specific antibody responsesHuman monoclonal antibodyTime pointsLogistic regression analysisSingle-chain variable fragmentVaccine responsePercentage reductionClinical trialsAntibody responseTotal IgGComplement factors C1qIgG subclassesMonoclonal antibodiesAntibody featuresSerum samplesPhase IRegression analysisVariable fragmentFeeding assays
2025
Transcript-Capture sequencing enriches mRNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from host samples
Lamont E, Jones R, Assadi J, Morrison R, Song T, Yu X, Weiner D, Via L, Winter J, Ma S, Wilkinson R, Barry C, Sherman D. Transcript-Capture sequencing enriches mRNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from host samples. NAR Molecular Medicine 2025, 3: ugaf045. PMID: 41522880, PMCID: PMC12783040, DOI: 10.1093/narmme/ugaf045.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNext generation sequencingTranscript capturePhysiological state of bacteriaBacterial gene expressionState of bacteriaSputum samplesClinical samplesPhysiological stateBacterial transcriptomesHost samplesBacterial mRNAsMRNA readsZinc limitationGeneration sequencingBiotinylated probesGene expressionSite of infectionMycobacterium tuberculosisBacterial activityMtbHostTB patientsSequenceLipid utilizationMRNAIdentification of Plasmodium falciparum VAR2CSA peptides differentially recognized by IgG of multigravidae through epitope excision
Misal S, Renn J, Morrison R, Cowles M, Mahamar A, Attaher O, Dicko A, Duffy P, Fried M. Identification of Plasmodium falciparum VAR2CSA peptides differentially recognized by IgG of multigravidae through epitope excision. Frontiers In Immunology 2025, 16: 1704346. PMID: 41293178, PMCID: PMC12641020, DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1704346.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPlasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytesAssociated with adverse outcomesAntibodies to VAR2CSAMalaria vaccine candidateAnti-adhesion antibodiesIE adhesionPlacental malariaVAR2CSA allelesIntervillous spaceMultigravidaVAR2CSAAdverse outcomesAcquired antibodiesPregnancyNewborn childrenEpitope recognitionVaccine candidatesFunctional antibodiesSubunit vaccinePrimigravidaIgGAntibodiesEpitopesExcisionChondroitin sulfateQuantitative 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. PMID: 41048342, PMCID: PMC12488637, 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 genes