Albert Shaw, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Medicine

Research Interests

Research in the Shaw laboratory is directed toward understanding the mechanisms underlying the functional decline of the immune system with aging. Ongoing projects include studies on the function of presenilins—proteins implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease—in cells of the immune system.  In addition, the laboratory is examining the role of mammalian topoisomerases in the control of DNA repair, genomic stability and age-related alterations in the immune system.  Finally, we are engaged in ongoing studies in humans that seek to elucidate age-related changes in the innate immune system (such as the Toll-like receptors), and to correlate such changes with responsiveness to vaccines (which decreases substantially in older adults) and susceptibility to infectious diseases.

Education

A.B. Harvard College, 1983

M.D. Harvard Medical School, 1991

Ph.D. Harvard University, 1991

Residency: Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

Fellowship: Massachusetts General Hospital

Recent Publications

• van Duin, D., Medzhitov, R., Shaw, A.C. (2006). Triggering TLR signaling in vaccination. Trends Immunol. 27:49-55.
• van Duin, D., Mohanty, S., Thomas, V., Ginter, S., Zhang, L., Montgomery R.R., Fikrig, E., Allore, H.G., Medzhitov, R., Shaw, A.C. (2007). Age-associated defect in human Toll-like receptor 1/2 function. J. Immunol. 178:970-975.
• van Duin, D., Allore, H.G., Mohanty, S., Ginter, S., Newman, F.K., Belshe, R.B., Medzhitov, R., Shaw, A.C. (2007). Pre-vaccine determination of the expression of costimulatory B7 molecules in activated monocytes predicts influenza vaccine responses in young and older adults. J. Infect. Dis. 195:1590-1597.
• Kwan, K.Y., Greenwald, R.J., Mohanty, S., Sharpe, A.H., Shaw, A.C., Wang, J.C. (2007). Development of autoimmunity in mice lacking DNA topoisomerase IIIbeta, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 104:9242-9247.
• van Duin, D., Shaw, A.C. (2007). Toll-like Receptors in Older Adults. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 55: 1438-1444.
• Yagi, T., Giallourakis, C., Mohanty, S., Scheidig, C,. Zheng, H., Shen, J., Xavier, R., Shaw, A.C. Defective signal transduction in presenilin-deficient B lymphocytes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA), in press.
• Mohanty, S., Town, T., Yagi, T., Scheidig, C., Flavell, R.A., Shaw, A.C. Defective p53 engagement following the induction of DNA damage in cells lacking DNA topoisomerase 3beta. In Revision.

Contact

Campus Address
300 Cedar Street
TAC S169C

E-mail
albert.shaw@yale.edu

Office Phone
(203) 785-3571

Fax
(203) 785-3864