Vida Hodara 
Staff Scientist II | Virology and Immunology and SNPRC
Phone: 210-258-9694
Education
Doctoral Degree: Natural Science with orientation to Zoology (1987)
School of Natural Sciences University of La Plata La Plata, Buenos Aires , Argentina
Dissertation: "Cricétidos involucrados en la transmisión del virus Junín: su biología en condiciones de laboratorio". (Cricetids related to Junin virus transmission: their biology in laboratory conditions)
Master's Degree: Zoology (1981)
School of Natural Sciences University of La Plata La Plata, Buenos Aires, TX, Argentina
Bachelor's Degree
Escuela Normal Juan Pascual Pringles San Luis, TX, Argentina
Postdoctoral Work
- CONICET, Argentina. Aim: Capacidad del virus Junín de inducir persistencia en cricétidos en relación a la especie de la cuál fue aislado (Junín virus isolated from different reservoir species would have different capacity for induction of persistence). At Dpt. de Microbiology, School of Medicine, UBA. Category: "Formación Superior". 1987-1990
- Karolinska Institute. Aim: Immunology: T cell receptor in HIV infected individuals, Apoptosis. At Microbiology and Tumorbiology Center, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. 1991-1995
- Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Texas, USA. SIV attenuated vaccines. At Dr. Luis Giavedoni’s Laboratory. 1998-2002
Research Focus
Immunological Studies on SIV infection in Rhesus macaques. Rhesus macaques are immunized with attenuated SIV carrying genes that encode for Immune-molecules important for immune response, such as CD154 (CD40 ligand) required for priming and expantion of antigen specific T cells. Anti-SIV responses are studied by Flowcytometry, ELISPOTS and different molecular biology methodologies in vaccinated animals as well as naive animals after infection with pathogenic virus.
Awards and Honors
Prize: "Colonización Judía de la República Argentina", National Academy of Medicine (1987): "Análisis de la relación huesped-patógeno en el sistema Calomys musculinus-virus Junín. Impacto epidemiológico de 1os mecanismos de transmisión". (Analysis of the relation host-pathogen for the system: Calomys musculinus-Junin Virus: Epidemiological impact of the transmission mechanisms). Merani M.S, Vitullo A.D., Hodara V. L.
Publications
Expression of CD154 by a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Vector Induces Only Transitory Changes in Rhesus Macaques
V.Hodara, M.C. Velasquillo, L.M. Parodi and L.D. Giavedoni
J. Virol 79 (8): 4679-4690, 2005
Phenotypic changes associated with advancing gestation in maternal and fetal baboon lymphocytes.
Giavedoni LD, Schlabritz-Loutsevitch N, Hodara VL, Parodi LM, Hubbard GB, Dudley DJ, McDonald TJ, Nathanielsz PW.
J Reprod Immunol. 64 (1-): 121-132, 2004
