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The School of Biological Sciences

Elissa Schwartz

Elissa Schwartz

Elissa Schwartz

Field of Study: Infectious Disease Dynamics
Title: Associate Professor
Degrees: Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, Mount Sinai–New York University
Homepage: Homepage/Lab Web Site Link
Google Scholar:  Google Scholar
Office: 289 Eastlick Hall
Email: ejs@wsu.edu
Phone: 509-335-5631
Fax: nan
Mailing Address: School of Biological Sciences
Washington State University
PO Box 644236
Pullman,WA 99164-4236

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research combines experimental and theoretical techniques to investigate mechanisms in virology, immunology, and infectious disease epidemiology. We use quantitative methods and computer modeling in conjunction with data in order to predict unforeseen biological mechanisms, to determine biologically important rate parameters, and to evaluate pathogenic mechanisms that are difficult to test directly. Our interdisciplinary approach, which couples mathematics with experiments, aims to advance our basic understanding of disease mechanisms and to lead to new therapeutic strategies.

Currently we are examining the control of lentiviral infection, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). We use mathematical and computational models of viral dynamics with clinical and experimental data to elucidate the determinants of virus control and escape. Our long-term goal is to uncover fundamental viral or immune mechanisms and to develop effective vaccine strategies.

Other current projects investigate viral evolution in bacteriophage populations and the effect of antiretroviral therapy on decreasing the development of renal disease among HIV+ populations.

Representative Publications:

  • Cangelosi RA, Schwartz EJ, Wollkind DJ. (2018) A quasi-steady-state approximation to the basic viral dynamics model with a non-cytopathic effect. Frontiers in Microbiology 9:54.
  • Schwartz EJ, Vaidya NK, Dorman K, Carpenter S, Mealey RH. (2018) Dynamics of lentiviral infection in vivo in the absence of adaptive host immune responses. Virology 513:108-113.
  • Pawelek KA, Tobin S, Griffin C, Ochocinski D, Schwartz EJ, Del Valle S. (2017) Impact of an imperfect vaccine and altered behavior on the spread of influenza. AIMS Medical Science 4(2):217-232.
  • Schwartz EJ, Biggs KRH, Bailes C, Ferolito KA, Vaidya NK. (2016) HIV dynamics with immune responses: Perspectives from mathematical modeling. Current Clinical Microbiology Reports 3:216-224.
  • Schwartz EJ, Choi B, Rempala GA. (2015) Estimating epidemic parameters: Application to H1N1 pandemic data. Mathematical Biosciences 270(Pt B):198-203.
  • Allen LJS, Schwartz EJ. (2015) Free-virus and cell-to-cell transmission in models of equine infectious anemia virus. Mathematical Biosciences 270(Pt B):237-48.
  • Schwartz EJ, Nanda S, Mealey RH. (2015) Antibody escape kinetics of EIAV infection of horses. Journal of Virology 89(13):6945-51.
  • Vaidya NK, Morgan M, Jones T, Miller L, Lapin S, Schwartz EJ. (2015) Modelling the epidemic spread of an H1N1 influenza outbreak in a rural university town. Epidemiology & Infection 143:1610-20.
  • Schwartz EJ, Yang OO, Cumberland WG, de Pillis LG. (2013) Computational model of HIV-1 escape from the cytotoxic T lymphocyte response. Canadian Applied Mathematics Quarterly 21(2):261-279.
  • Schwartz EJ, Szczech LA, Ross MJ, Klotman ME, Winston JA, Klotman PE. (2005) Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy and the Epidemic of HIV+ End-Stage Renal Disease. Journal of American Society of Nephrology 16(8):2412-20.