Ralph S. Baric
Ralph S. Baric | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1954 (age 69–70) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | North Carolina State University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Epidemiology |
| Institutions | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Thesis | Inhibitors of host transcription block Sindbis virus replication (1982) |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert E. Johnston |
| Doctoral students | Lisa Ellen Hensley |
Ralph Steven Baric (born 1954) is
Baric's work involves coronaviruses, including gain of function research aimed at devising effective vaccines against coronaviruses.[1] Baric has warned of emerging coronaviruses presenting as a significant threat to global health, due to zoonosis.[2][3] Baric's work has drawn criticism from some scientists and members of the public related to chimeric virus experiments conducted at UNC-Chapel Hill.[4]
Career
Baric has published multiple articles and book chapters on the epidemiology and genetics of various viruses, including norovirus,[5][6][7] and coronaviruses,[8][9] as well as potential treatments for viral diseases.[10][11]
In 2015, with Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, he published an article titled "A SARS-like cluster of circulating bat coronaviruses shows potential for human emergence," which describes their work in generating and characterizing a chimeric virus which added the spike of a bat coronavirus (SHC014) onto the backbone of a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV (rMA15).[12] The research related to this article drew criticism from other scientists due to fears that the SHC014-rMA15 chimeric virus could have pandemic potential.[13] This concern was renewed and echoed by members of the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] Experts have noted that the virus was adapted to a mouse model and had decreased virulence in human tissues.[15] The chimeric virus was also less virulent than the wild type rMA15 virus, as is expected in most chimeras.[15]
In 2020, Baric contributed to establishing the official nomenclature and taxonomic classification of SARS-CoV-2.[16] In 2021, he was elected member of the U. S. National Academy of Sciences.[17]
References
- ^ "Hear from top scientist who has spent 'years' working toward a cure for coronaviruses". Msnbc.com. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
- ^ Schmidt, Charles (2020-06-09). "For Experts Who Study Coronaviruses, a Grim Vindication". Medscape. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
- ^ Rowan Jacobsen, 29 June 2021. Inside the risky bat-virus engineering that links America to Wuhan. MIT Technology Review.
- S2CID 182338924.
- S2CID 28663420. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
- S2CID 35718373.
- PMID 18271619.
- PMID 24217413.
- S2CID 20502390.
- PMID 31924756.
- PMID 28659436.
- PMID 26552008.
- S2CID 182338924.
- ^ Jacobsen, Rowan (29 June 2021). "Inside the risky bat-virus engineering that links America to Wuhan". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ^ PMID 32102621.
- S2CID 211729429.
- ^ "News from the National Academy of Sciences". April 26, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
Newly elected members and their affiliations at the time of election are: ... Baric, Ralph S.; William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor, department of epidemiology, and professor, department of microbiology and immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
, entry in member directory:"Member Directory: Ralph S. Baric". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
External links
| International | |
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| National | |
| Academics | |
