Jessica R. Weaver, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine

Type I diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease that results in the destruction of beta cells, a type of islet cell in the pancreas that produces insulin. Elevated pancreatic expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines are associated with Type 1 diabetes. Dr. Weaver is studying the effect of these pro-inflammatory cytokines on islet function and trying to determine the key cytokine-mediated pathways that lead to induction of apoptosis in islets.

Selected Publications

• Weaver JR, Isaacs SN. Monkeypox virus and insights into its immunomodulatory proteins. Immunol Rev. 2008 Oct;225:96-113.
• Weaver JR, Good K, Walters RD, Kugel JF, and Goodrich JA. Characterization of the sequence and architectural constraints of the regulatory and core regions of the human interleukin-2 promoter. Mol Immunol. 2007 Apr;44(11):2813-9. Epub 2007 Mar 6.
• Weaver JR, Shamin M, Alexander E, Davies DH, Felgner PL, and Isaacs SN. The identification and characterization of a monoclonal antibody to the vaccinia virus E3 protein. Virus Res. 2007 Dec;130(1-2):269-74. Epub 2007 Jun 20.
• Mustafa W, Maciag PC, Pan ZK, Weaver JR, Xiao Y, Isaacs SN, and Peterson Y. Listeria monocytogenes delivery of HPV-16 major capsid protein, L1, induces systemic and mucosal cell-mediated CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses after oral immunization. Viral Immunol. 2009 Jun;22(3):195-204.