IDCRC Investigator Profile: Getahun Abate, MD, PhD

Saint Louis University
Getahun Abate, MD, PhD headshot

Getahun Abate, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of Internal Medicine at Saint Louis University. His primary research interest includes mycobacterial diseases and pox viruses with a focus on development of vaccines and therapeutics.

How long have you worked with a VTEU?

I joined the Division of Infectious Diseases at Saint Louis University as a physician scientist in 2012 and I have been with VTEU since then.

Can you share more about a current IDCRC study you're working on?

My group recently completed IDCRC funded project on mpox. In this project we compared MVA-BN induced mpox immunity to mpox immunity induced by Dryvax, a vaccine that replicates in human cells. We used stored samples (302 sera and 244 peripheral blood mononuclear cells) from three previously completed clinical trials. We demonstrated that Dryvax vaccinees had higher mpox neutralizing antibody responses. In addition, measurement of immune responses at 6 months post-vaccination showed that mpox-specific neutralizing antibody responses and T cell immune responses were more durable in Dryvax vaccinees. These results clearly indicate that further studies are needed to determine the immunological signatures associated with durability of immunity and find ways to increase the durability of immune responses induced by MVA-BN.

Learn about IDCRC studies here.

Please describe the IDCRC-supported trials you’ve supported.

In the last few years, I have been a co-investigator or site PI in more than 10 IDCRC-supported trials:

  • Flublok or Fluzone with Advax-cpG55.2 or AF03 (NCT03945825)
  • Safety/efficacy study of Seqirus A/H7N9 IIV with or without MF59 ® adjuvant to prevent avian influenza (NCT03682120)
  • 2013/2017 H7N9 prime-boost interval (NCT03589807)
  • 2017 A/H7N9 IIV revaccination (NCT03738241)
  • H1N1 virus challenge study in healthy adults (NCT04044352)
  • COVID-19 variant immunologic landscape trial (COVAIL trial, NCT05289037)
  • Cross-protocol analysis from the placebo groups of 4 randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine efficacy trials (Moderna, Jansen, AstraZeneca and Novavax).
  • A study to evaluate efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of mRNA-1273 vaccine in adults aged 18 years and older to prevent COVID-19 (NCT04470427)
  • Trial to evaluate the immunogenicity of dose reduction strategies of the MVA-BN monkeypox vaccine (NCT05512949)
  • Chimpanzee adenovirus and self-amplifying mRNA prime-boost prophylactic vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in healthy adults (NCT04776317)

I have been a PI or site PI in other VTEU studies in the past and some of these studies focused on measuring vaccine-induced immunity using stored samples (e.g., a study on plague vaccine, DMID 15-0104) or clinical practices in managing pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria at VTEU sites (DMID 16-0037). It was a great privilege to participate in these clinical studies/trials. The different clinical trials gave me an opportunity to learn from clinical trial experts working at different collaborating VTEU sites.

Of these trials, what has been the most impactful or highlight of the work?

I believe all VTEU trials that I participated in were impactful. Of course, one or other trials may be more impactful based on the time when the trial was carried out. For instance, COVID-19 vaccine trials carried out at the height of the pandemic had the most impact on public health. Similarly, smallpox vaccine studies done when the threat of bioterrorism was high or during the global mpox outbreak may be most impactful because of immediate application of results for public safety. Having said this, COVID-19 pandemic is one for the generation and therefore, I believe trials done on COVID-19 vaccines when no approved vaccine was available were the most impactful.

What is a strength or example of the importance of the IDCRC?

The IDCRC has several strengths, including:

  • It allows the clinical trial capacity of institutes in the consortium to be utilized for the development of new or improved vaccines and therapeutics against major infectious diseases.
  • It provides a forum and support system that facilitates the development of early career scientists.
  • It streamlines scientific concept proposal review process by making the process transparent and supportive without compromising the scientific scrutiny by different expert working groups.

What do you like to do outside of the VTEU?

When the weather allows, I enjoy hiking with friends and family. I sometimes play tennis. For the last five years, I have used some of my annual vacation time for voluntary medical services. I am a member of a religious-based medical association (EOTMA) which provides free health services without any prejudice to the least privileged, including internally displaced people in Africa. In addition, the association had participated in rebuilding health care facilities in war-torn areas and has been involved in building the capacity of some medical colleges in Africa.