Neil Reiner

Dr. Neil Reiner is the director of the Immunity and Infection Research Centre and a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of British Columbia. His research program is focused on understanding the strategies used by intracellular pathogens to effectively prevent host macrophage activation. The broad objective is to identify the pathways and molecules in macrophages targeted by intracellular pathogens and the corresponding microbial virulence factors involved.

The intracellular protozoan pathogen under study is Leishmania donovani, whose interaction with the human macrophage serves as an excellent model system to study host-pathogen interactions in general. The leishmaniases, caused by more than 20 Leishmania species, are vector-borne infections widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, affecting over 90 countries or territories with approximately 1 million new cases each year. Leishmania donovani is responsible for human visceral leishmaniasis with severe morbidity and mortality. There are no effective vaccines, and current treatments have limited efficacy and significant toxicities. Over decades, Dr. Reiner’s research has led to novel discoveries in and continues to further elucidate fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying Leishmania pathogenesis, with the hope of generating novel approaches to advance drug and vaccine development.