Biography
COL Julie A. Ake, M.D., MSc. is an infectious diseases specialist and the Director of the U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR). She is a clinical researcher leading multiple vaccine trials and cohort studies in the U.S., Africa, and Asia, and is the Co-Principal Investigator of the MHRP Clinical Trials Unit participating in the National Institutes of Health’s HVTN, ACTG and Coronavirus Prevention Network. COL Ake also oversees WRAIR’s program supporting the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and the Philippines.
During her tenure at MHRP, she has served as Director of the Rockville Vaccine Assessment Clinic and as an investigator in multiple international HIV vaccine studies, also leading clinical trials developing Ebola vaccine candidates and contributing to MHRP’s HIV remission agenda through trial leadership and participation in the HOPE Martin Delaney Cure Collaboratory. She also co-chairs the African Cohort Study (AFRICOS), a large prospective cohort evaluating HIV outcomes and pathogenesis in sub–Saharan Africa. COL Ake represents the DoD on the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council and the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise Advisory Group. COL Ake served on the Vaccine Development Team as a Product Coordination Team clinical advisor for the USG Operation developing COVID-19 countermeasures. She also contributed as a Co-lead for PEPFAR’s Short Term Task Team adapting HIV service delivery to COVID-19 pandemic conditions. In 2010, she deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, serving as the Officer- in-Charge of the FOB Union III Clinic, 520th Area Support Medical Company.
COL Ake completed her undergraduate studies at Stanford University, earning an A.B. with honors in Economics and Public Policy. She completed a master’s degree in a co-taught health policy program at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the London School of Economics. COL Ake earned her medical degree at the University of Washington and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. She trained in internal medicine at Madigan Army Medical Center, where she served as Chief of Medical Residents. COL Ake completed infectious diseases fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and earned additional certification in tropical and travel medicine at the Uniformed Services University, where she is holds an appointment as Professor of Medicine. She is the recipient of the “A” Proficiency Designator, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.
Publications
Ake JA, Schuetz A, Pegu P, Wieczorek L, Eller MA, Kibuuka H, Sawe F, Maboko L, Polonis V, Karasavva N, Weiner D, Sekiziyvu A, Kosgei J, Missanga M, Kroidl A, Mann P, Ratto-Kim S, Eller LA, Earl P, Moss B, Dorsey-Spitz J, Milazzo M, Ouedraogo LG, Rizvi F, Yan J, Khan AS, Sardesai NY, Michael NL, Ngauy V, Marovich M, Robb ML. Safety and Immunogenicity of PENNVAX®-G DNA Prime Administered by Biojector® 2000 or CELLECTRA® Electroporation Device with Modified Vaccinia Ankara-CMDR Boost. J Infect Dis. 2017 Nov 27;216(9):1080-1090.
Baden LR, Walsh SR, Seaman MS, Cohen YZ, Johnson JA, Licona JH, Filter RD, Kleinjan JA, Gothing JA, Jennings J, Peter L, Nkolola J, Abbink P, Borducchi EN, Kirilova M, Stephenson KE, Pegu P, Eller MA, Trinh HV, Rao M, Ake JA, Sarnecki M, Nijs S, Callewaert K, Schuitemaker H, Hendriks J, Pau MG, Tomaka F, Korber BT, Alter G, Dolin R, Earl PL, Moss B, Michael NL, Robb ML, Barouch DH; IPCAVD006/RV380/HIV-V-A002 Study Group. First-In-Human Randomized Controlled Trial of Mosaic HIV-1 Immunogens Delivered via a Modified Vaccinia Ankara Vector. J Infect Dis. 2018 Jul 13;218(4):633-644.
Milanini B, Paul R, Bahemana E, Adamu Y, Kiweewa F, Langat R, Owuoth J, Allen E, Polyak C, Ake J, Valcour V, AFRICOS Study Team. Limitations of the International HIV Dementia Scale in the current era. AIDS. 2018 Nov 13;32(17):2477-2483.
Letizia A, Eller MA, Polyak C, Eller LA, Creegan M, Dawson P, Bryant C, Dohoon K, Crowell TA, Lombardi K, Rono E, Robb ML, Michael NL, Maswai J, Ake JA. Biomarkers of Inflammation Correlate with Clinical Scoring Indices in HIV-Infected Kenyans. J Infect Dis. 2019 Jan 7;219(2):284-294.
Esber A, Polyak C, Kiweewa F, Maswai J, Owuoth J, Maganga L, Adamu Y, Hickey P, Ake J, Crowell TA. Persistent low level viremia predicts subsequent virologic failure. Is it time to change the 3rd 90? Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Aug 16;69(5):805-812.
Ake JA, Polyak CS, Crowell TA, Kiweewa F, Semwogerere M, Maganga L, Bahemana E, Maswai J, Langat R, Owuoth J. Oteino S, Keshinro B, Esber AL, Liu M, Eller LA, Ganesan K, Parikh AP, Hamm TE, Robb ML, Hickey PW, Valcour VG, Michael NL, AFRICOS Study Team.Noninfectious Comorbidity in the African Cohort Study (AFRICOS). Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Aug 16;69(5):805-812.
Nowak RG, Mitchell A, Crowell TA, Liu H, Ketende S, Rhamadhani HO, Ndembi N, Adebajo S, Ake J, Michael NL, Blattner WA, Baral SD, Charurat ME, TRUST/RV368 Study Group. Individual and sexual network predictors of HIV incidence among men who have sex with men in Nigeria. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2019 Apr 1;80(4):444-453.
Billings E, Kijak GH, Sanders-Buell E, Ndembi N, OʼSullivan AM, Adebajo S, Kokogho A, Milazzo M, Lombardi K, Baral S, Nowak R, Ramadhani H, Gramzinski R, Robb ML, Michael NL, Charurat ME, Ake J, Crowell TA, Tovanabutra S; MHRP Viral Sequencing Core and the TRUST/RV368 Study Group. New Subtype B Containing HIV-1 Circulating Recombinant of sub-Saharan Africa Origin in Nigerian Men who have Sex with Men. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2019 Aug 15;81(5):578-584.
Korencak M, Byrne M, Richter E, Schultz BT, Juszczak P, Ake JA, Ganesan A, Okulicz JF, Robb ML, de los Reyes B, Winning S, Fandrey J, Burgess TH, Esser S, Michael NL, Agan BK, Streeck H. Effect of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy on immune cellular functions. JCI Insight, 2019 Jun 20;4(12).
Tapia MD, Sow SO, Ndiaye BP, Mbaye KD, Thiongane A, Ndour CT, Mboup S, Ake JA, Keshinro B, Akintunde GA, Kinge TN, Vernet G, Bigna JJ, Oguche S, Koram KA, Asante KP, Hogrefe WR, Günther S, Naficy A, De Ryck I, Debois M, Bourguignon P, Jongert E, Ballou WR, Koutsoukos M, Roman F; Zaire EBola Research Alliance group. Safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of a chimpanzee adenovirus vectored Ebola vaccine in adults in Africa: a randomised, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 Jun;20(6):707-718
Golin R, Godfrey C, Firth J, Lee L, Minior T, Phelps BR, Raizes EG, Ake JA, Siberry GK. PEPFAR’s Response to the Convergence of the HIV and COVID-19 Pandemics in Sub-Saharan Africa. J Int AIDS Soc. 2020 Aug;23(8):e25587.
Crowell TA, Danboise B, Parikh A, Esber A, Dear N, Coakley P, Kasembeli A, Maswai J, Khamadi S, Bahemana E, Iroezindu M, Kiweewa F, Owuoth J, Freeman J, Jagodzinski LL, Malia JA, Eller LA, Tovanabutra S, Peel SA, Ake JA, Polyak CS; AFRICOS Study Group. Pre-treatment and Acquired Antiretroviral Drug Resistance among Persons Living with HIV in Four African Countries. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 12. Online ahead of print.
Lee EH, Ganesan K, Khamadi S, Meribe S, Njeru D, Adamu A, Magala F, Crowell TA, Akom E, Agaba P, Desai P, Hamm T, Teyhen D,Ake JA, Polyak C, Shaffer D, Sawe F, Hickey PW. Attaining 95-95-95 through implementation science: Fifteen years of insights and best practices from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research’s implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Nov 9. Online ahead of print.