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Justin Joseph Pollara

Associate Professor in Surgery
Surgery, Surgical Sciences
116 SORF Building, Box 2926 Med Ctr, Durham, NC 27710
116 SORF Building, Box 2926 Med Ctr, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


Dr. Justin Pollara is a member of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and the Duke Center for Human Systems Immunology, and is Associate Director of the Duke Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Developmental Core. He received his PhD from North Carolina State University and completed his postdoctoral training as a recipient of the Duke NIH Interdisciplinary Research Training Program in AIDS (IRTPA) T32 award in the laboratory of Dr. Guido Ferrari. He joined the faculty of the Duke Department of Surgery in 2016.

A common theme of research performed in Dr. Pollara’s laboratory is a focus on interactions between innate and adaptive immunity. Dr. Pollara’s work has contributed significantly to the understanding of the roles played by non-neutralizing antibodies in limiting HIV-1 disease progression, and in prevention of infection or control of virus replication in preclinical and clinical HIV-1 vaccine trials. Dr. Pollara’s research has also identified specific components of the immune response that reduce the risk of vertical transmission of both HIV-1 and human cytomegalovirus. The Pollara lab characterizes the phenotype and functionality of antibody-interacting innate immune cells and explores how natural genetic variation in antibodies and antibody receptors may contribute to vaccine responsiveness and immune competence. Further, with a strong interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, the Pollara Lab has broadened its scope beyond infectious diseases and is now actively leading studies aimed at understanding how inflammation, antibodies, innate immune cells, and newly described populations of T cells promote allograft injury that underlies rejection of transplanted organs.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor in Surgery · 2021 - Present Surgery, Surgical Sciences, Surgery
Member of Duke Human Vaccine Institute · 2017 - Present Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published December 3, 2024
Research & Innovation Seed Grants Total Nearly $2 Million

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Recent Publications


Activation of CXCR3+ Tfh cells and B cells in lymph nodes during acute HIV-1 infection correlates with HIV-specific antibody development.

Journal Article J Virol · March 18, 2025 UNLABELLED: Lymph node T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and germinal center (GC) B cells are critical to generate potent antibodies but are rarely possible to study in humans. To understand how Tfh/GC B-cell interactions during acute HIV-1 infection (AHI) i ... Full text Link to item Cite

Influence of Distinct Maternal Cytomegalovirus-Specific Neutralizing and Fc Receptor-Binding Responses on Congenital Cytomegalovirus Transmission in HIV-Exposed Neonates.

Journal Article Viruses · February 26, 2025 Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common infectious cause of birth defects worldwide, affecting approximately 1 in every 200 live-born infants globally. Recent work has identified potential immune correlates of protection against cCMV transmiss ... Full text Link to item Cite

In utero human cytomegalovirus infection expands NK-like FcγRIII+CD8+ T cells that mediate Fc antibody functions.

Journal Article J Clin Invest · November 12, 2024 Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) profoundly impacts host T and NK cells across the lifespan, yet how this common congenital infection modulates developing fetal immune cell compartments remains underexplored. Using cord blood from neonates with and without con ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Nonhuman Primate Core-Option 6

ResearchInvestigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2032

Impacts of genetic variation in the Fc gamma receptor locus on functionality of natural killer cells and monocytes

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina State University · 2024 - 2029

Quantitative Methods for HIV/AIDS Research

Inst. Training Prgm or CMESteering Committee Member · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2018 - 2028

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Education, Training & Certifications


North Carolina State University · 2010 Ph.D.