Timothy Watkins
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About
Biography
Timothy received his BS in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 2017 and worked in structural biology research under Dr. Focco van den Akker studying soluble guanylyl cyclases. From 2017-2019, Timothy worked as a post-baccalaureate fellow at the Vaccine Research Center at NIH under Dr. Richard Koup studying B cell immortalization techniques for antibody discovery applications, particularly in HIV vaccine development. Currently, Timothy is a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Ellen Foxman. His work focuses on the innate immune response of human airway epithelium to a range of respiratory viruses including rhinovirus, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, he is interested in better defining mechanisms of interference between respiratory viruses using experimental approaches as well as analysis of clinical data and samples.
Education & Training
- Postbaccalaureate Fellow
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (2019)
- BS
- Case Western Reserve University, Biochemistry (2017)
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Allergy and Immunology; Asthma; COVID-19; Epithelial Cells; Immunity, Innate; Inflammation; Influenza, Human; Respiratory Tract Infections; Rhinovirus; Translational Research, Biomedical; Viral Interference; Virus Diseases
ORCID
0000-0002-1607-1335
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Timothy Watkins's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Timothy Watkins's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Timothy Watkins is interested in exploring.
Ellen F Foxman, MD, PhD
Marie-Louise Landry, MD
Dejian Zhao, PhD
Wade Schulz, MD, PhD
Albert Ko, MD
Bao Wang
7Publications
180Citations
COVID-19
Immunity, Innate
Publications
Featured Publications
Application of B cell immortalization for the isolation of antibodies and B cell clones from vaccine and infection settings
Boswell K, Watkins T, Cale E, Samsel J, Andrews S, Ambrozak D, Driscoll J, Messina M, Narpala S, Hopp C, Cagigi A, Casazza J, Yamamoto T, Zhou T, Schief W, Crompton P, Ledgerwood J, Connors M, Gama L, Kwong P, McDermott A, Mascola J, Koup R. Application of B cell immortalization for the isolation of antibodies and B cell clones from vaccine and infection settings. Frontiers In Immunology 2022, 13: 1087018. PMID: 36582240, PMCID: PMC9794141, DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1087018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsB cell subsetsB cell clonesB-cell immortalizationMemory B cellsB cellsCell subsetsCell clonesHIV-1 infected individualsMemory B cell subsetsDifferent B cell populationsIsolation of antibodiesRecent malaria infectionFuture vaccine designCell immortalizationB cell populationsB cell survivalMalaria infectionPrimary B cellsVaccine settingInfection settingsImmunoglobulin secretionHealthy individualsTonsil tissueAntibody secretionBCL-6Dynamic innate immune response determines susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and early replication kinetics
Cheemarla NR, Watkins TA, Mihaylova VT, Wang B, Zhao D, Wang G, Landry ML, Foxman EF. Dynamic innate immune response determines susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and early replication kinetics. Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2021, 218: e20210583. PMID: 34128960, PMCID: PMC8210587, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20210583.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH KeywordsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAngiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2Case-Control StudiesChemokine CXCL10COVID-19Disease SusceptibilityFemaleGene Expression ProfilingHost-Pathogen InteractionsHumansImmunity, InnateInterferonsMaleMiddle AgedNasopharynxPicornaviridae InfectionsSARS-CoV-2Viral LoadVirus ReplicationConceptsSARS-CoV-2 infectionSARS-CoV-2 exposureSARS-CoV-2Interferon-stimulated genesUpper respiratory tractRespiratory tractEarly SARS-CoV-2 infectionDynamic innate immune responseViral replicationSARS-CoV-2 replicationPatient nasopharyngeal samplesInnate immune responseLow infectious doseViral loadNasopharyngeal samplesImmune responseInfectious doseISG responseAntiviral responseInfection progressionViral transmissionLevel correlatesInfectionISG inductionInitial replicationNasal host response-based screening for undiagnosed respiratory viruses: a pathogen surveillance and detection study
Cheemarla N, Hanron A, Fauver J, Bishai J, Watkins T, Brito A, Zhao D, Alpert T, Vogels C, Ko A, Schulz W, Landry M, Grubaugh N, van Dijk D, Foxman E. Nasal host response-based screening for undiagnosed respiratory viruses: a pathogen surveillance and detection study. The Lancet Microbe 2023, 4: e38-e46. PMID: 36586415, PMCID: PMC9835789, DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(22)00296-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRespiratory virus panelPg/mLCXCL10 concentrationsSARS-CoV-2Bacterial pathobiontsRespiratory virusesSARS-CoV-2 negative samplesViral respiratory infectionsSARS-CoV-2 positive samplesClinical virology laboratoryHealth care systemVirus-positive samplesQuantitative RT-PCRInfluenza C virusSymptomatic patientsRespiratory infectionsSeasonal coronavirusesNasopharyngeal swabsVirus panelC virusCommon virusesCXCL10Host responseInterferon responseVirology laboratoryConsiderations for viral co-infection studies in human populations.
Chin T, Foxman E, Watkins T, Lipsitch M. Considerations for viral co-infection studies in human populations. MBio 2024, e0065824. PMID: 38847531, DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00658-24.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsViral Interference During Influenza A–SARS-CoV-2 Coinfection of the Human Airway Epithelium and Reversal by Oseltamivir
Cheemarla N, Watkins T, Mihaylova V, Foxman E. Viral Interference During Influenza A–SARS-CoV-2 Coinfection of the Human Airway Epithelium and Reversal by Oseltamivir. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2023, 229: 1430-1434. PMID: 37722683, PMCID: PMC11095529, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad402.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsSARS-CoV-2 replicationSARS-CoV-2IAV replicationHuman airway epithelial culturesHuman airway epitheliumAirway epithelial culturesHost antiviral responseRobust interferon responseInfluenza infectionRespiratory virusesAirway epitheliumViral infectionAntiviral responseViral interferenceCoinfecting virusSimultaneous infectionHost cell defenseInterferon responseCoinfectionInfectionEpithelial culturesOseltamivirInfluenzaVirusCell defenseRhesus macaque Bcl-6/Bcl-xL B cell immortalization: Discovery of HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies from lymph node
Samsel J, Boswell K, Watkins T, Ambrozak D, Mason R, Yamamoto T, Ko S, Yang Y, Zhou T, Doria-Rose N, Foulds K, Roederer M, Mascola J, Kwong P, Gama L, Koup R. Rhesus macaque Bcl-6/Bcl-xL B cell immortalization: Discovery of HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies from lymph node. Journal Of Immunological Methods 2023, 516: 113445. PMID: 36848985, DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2023.113445.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsB cellsLymph nodesRhesus macaquesHIV-1HIV-1 vaccineExpression of CD40Surface B-cell receptorB-cell immortalizationPre-clinical testingB cell receptorIL-21CD40 ligandAntigen specificityBCL-6Cell receptorIdentification of cellsAntibodiesFunctional assaysCell immortalizationBcl-xLAntigen probeCellsRetroviral vectorsSomatic hypermutationAntibody discovery
2024
High burden of viruses and bacterial pathobionts drives heightened nasal innate immunity in children
Watkins T, Green A, Amat J, Cheemarla N, Hänsel K, Lozano R, Dudgeon S, Germain G, Landry M, Schulz W, Foxman E. High burden of viruses and bacterial pathobionts drives heightened nasal innate immunity in children. Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2024, 221: e20230911. PMID: 38949638, PMCID: PMC11215523, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20230911.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsBacterial pathobiontsRespiratory virusesBurden of virusesSARS-CoV-2Innate immune activationSARS-CoV-2 viral loadDynamic host-pathogen interactionsInnate immune responseViral coinfectionCytokine profileViral loadNasal virusImmune activationProinflammatory responseIL-1BNasopharyngeal samplesHost-pathogen interactionsImmune responseInterferon responsePathobiontsInnate immunityPaired samplesCXCL10Healthy 1-year-oldVirus