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Head, Non-Human Primate Laboratory (AFRIMS)

Matthew Parsons, Ph.D.

BIOGRAPHY

Matthew Parsons, Ph.D., is the Head of the Non-Human Primate Laboratory within the Department of Retrovirology at the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS) in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr. Parsons received his Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine from McGill University, where he studied the role of natural killer (NK) cells in protecting against HIV infection and slowing disease progression. Following the completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Parsons conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Melbourne and was an Assistant Professor at the Emory Primate Research Center at Emory University. Since the completion of his Ph.D., he:

  1. Studied the role of NK cell education in regulating the anti-HIV responses of NK cells.
  2. Developed a non-human primate model of exposure to cell-associated HIV.
  3. Assessed the Fc-dependent functional characteristics required for neutralizing antibodies to prevent infection following exposure to cell-associated virus.
  4. Determined how immunomodulation by semen impacts anti-HIV immune responses.

As Head of the AFRIMS Department of Retrovirology’s Non-Human Primate Laboratory, Dr. Parsons works closely with the AFRIMS Department of Veterinary Medicine to develop and utilize non-human primate models of HIV exposure and infection. The Non-Human Primate Laboratory actively assesses HIV cure and vaccination strategies to facilitate the clinical development of various biomedical products. 

Selected Publications

Kristensen AB, Wragg KM, Vanderven HA, Lee WS, Silvers J, Kent HE, et al. Phenotypic and functional characteristics of highly differentiated CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells in HIV-1-infected individuals. Clin Exp Immunol 2022; 210(2):163-174.

Routhu NK, Gangadhara S, Lai L, Davis-Gardner ME, Floyd K, Shiferaw A, et al. A modified vaccinia Ankara vaccine expressing spike and nucleocapsid protects rhesus macaques against SARS-CoV-2 Delta infection. Sci Immunol 2022; 7(72):eabo0226.

Edwards JM, Heydarchi B, Khoury G, Salazar-Quiroz NA, Gonelli CA, Wines B, et al. Enhancement of Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity and Phagocytosis in Anti-HIV-1 Human-Bovine Chimeric Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies. J Virol 2021; 95(13):e0021921.

Parsons MS, Kristensen AB, Selva KJ, Lee WS, Amarasena T, Esterbauer R, et al. Protective efficacy of the anti-HIV broadly neutralizing antibody PGT121 in the context of semen exposure. EBioMedicine 2021; 70:103518.

Juno JA, Wragg KM, Kristensen AB, Lee WS, Selva KJ, van der Sluis RM, et al. Modulation of the CCR5 Receptor/Ligand Axis by Seminal Plasma and the Utility of In Vitro versus In Vivo Models. J Virol 2019; 93(11):e00242-19.

Parsons MS, Lee WS, Kristensen AB, Amarasena T, Khoury G, Wheatley AK, et al. Fc-dependent functions are redundant to efficacy of anti-HIV antibody PGT121 in macaques. J Clin Invest 2019; 129(1):182-191.

Selva KJ, Bavinton BR, Grulich AE, Pazgier M, Kelleher AD, Kent SJ, et al. Impact of HIV-1 viremia or sexually transmitted infection on semen-derived anti-HIV-1 antibodies and the immunosuppressive capacity of seminal plasma. Eur J Immunol 2019; 49(12):2255-2258.

Kristensen AB, Kent SJ, Parsons MS. Contribution of NK Cell Education to both Direct and Anti-HIV-1 Antibody-Dependent NK Cell Functions. J Virol 2018; 92(11):e02146-17.

Parsons MS, Cromer D, Davenport MP, Kent SJ. HIV Reactivation after Partial Protection by Neutralizing Antibodies. Trends Immunol 2018; 39(5):359-366.

Parsons MS, Lloyd SB, Lee WS, Kristensen AB, Amarasena T, Center RJ, et al. Partial efficacy of a broadly neutralizing antibody against cell-associated SHIV infection. Sci Transl Med 2017; 9(402):eaaf1483.