Research/Areas of Interest:
Enteric infections and the host response; this includes viral, bacterial and protozoan pathogens of veterinary and medical importance causing acute or chronic diarrhea in the immunocompetent or the immunodeficient host; Therapy for cryptosporidiosis, Vaccine delivery systems, Monoclonal antibodies to HUS prophylaxis botulism antidote; Botulism antidotes and anti-toxins; Cryptosporidium genome sequencing
Education
- Doctor of Science, University Melbourne/Australia, AUS, 1985
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, AUS, 1974
- Doctor of Vet Medicine, University of Queensland, AUS, 1970
- FRCVS (Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons), Royal Society of Veterinary Medicine,, London, United Kingdom, 1990
Biography
Dr. Tzipori has many years of research experience working with infectious diseases of humans and domestic animals, with particular reference to food and waterborne enteric pathogens (viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoa) and bacterial toxins. This includes investigating the relative contribution of virulence attributes to pathogenesis and disease, for the screening and evaluation of chemical or immune-based therapeutic agents, and vaccine development and evaluation. He is best known for his expertise and contribution to cryptosporidiosis, microsporidiosis, E. coli O157:H7 diarrhea and HUS (hemolytic uremic syndrome), shigellosis, and Clostridium difficile, among others. He has directed multi-project and multicenter scientific programs nationally and globally, funded by NIH, DOD, EPA, FDA,CDC, USDA and USAID. He led a 7 year program of major NIH-funded multicenter investigations focused on the development countermeasures against infectious agents including. With funds from the Gates Foundation, together with colleagues, he developed the Bacillus subtilis-based mucosal /oral vaccine delivery system and successfully used it for the development of needle-free, temperature resistant vaccines against tetanus toxin and rotavirus. In recent years his team has focused primarily on the development of innovative methods for intervention to treat C. difficile, including the development of the gnotobiotic piglet model populated with adult human microbiome designed specifically for the studies of C. difficile infections among others. Currently Tzipori is funded under the NIAID Enteric-CETR Program (2014-2020) to develop childhood vaccines against cryptosporidiosis, AND BY THE Gates Foundation to develop and evaluate therapeutics against cryptosporidiosis. He is the Tufts University PI of USAID project on global health,funded (2009-2020) under the umbrella of the Emerging Pandemic Threats2 (EPT2).