Melissa E. Kane, PhD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Dr. Kane received her Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and completed her doctoral dissertation in Microbiology at the University of Chicago in the laboratory of Dr. Tatyana Golovkina. She conducted her postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Paul Bieniasz at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center/Rockefeller University. Dr. Kane moved to Pittsburgh in 2019 for her position in the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Kane is a virologist who studies immunity to retroviral infections. Her research is focused on identifying genetic, immunological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms of retroviral resistance. She has published several important articles in the field of retrovirology and her accomplishments have been recognized by the Andy Kaplan Prize in Retrovirology and the Gilead Sciences Research Scholars Award.

Professional and Scientific Society Memberships

New York Academy of Sciences, 2017-2018
American Society for Microbiology, 2022-Present

Education & Training

BS, Cornell University, 2004
PhD, University of Chicago, 2011
Postdoctoral Fellow, Rockefeller University/ Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, 2018

Selected Publications

Kane, M., Rebensburg, S., Takata, M., Zang, T.M., Yamashita, M., Kvaratskhelia, M., Bieniasz, P.D. 2018. Nuclear pore heterogeneity affects HIV-1 infection and the antiviral activity of Mx2. PMID: 30084827.

Kane, M*., Deiss, F., Chervonsky, A.V., Golovkina, T. 2018. A single locus controls interferon gamma-independent antiretroviral neutralizing antibody responses. J Virol. PMID: 29875252 *- Corresponding author

Denzin, L.K., Khan, A.A., Virdis, F., Wilks, J., Kane, M., Beilinson, H., Dikiy, S., Case, L.K., Roopenian, D., Witkowski, M., Chervonsky, A.V., Golovkina, T. 2017. Neutralizing antibody responses to viral infections are linked to the non-classical MHC class II gene Ob. Immunity 47(2):310-322.e7. PMID: 28813660.

Kane, M*., Zang, T.M*., Rihn, S.J*., Zhang, F., Kueck, T., Alim, M., Schoggins, J., Rice, C.M., Wilson, S.J., Bieniasz, P.D. 2016. Identification Interferon-Stimulated Genes with Antiretroviral Activity. Cell Host Microbe 20(3):392-405. PMID: 27631702. *-These authors contributed equally

Busnadiego, I., Kane, M., Rihn, S., Preugschas, H., Hughes, J., Blanco-Melo, D., Strouvelle, V., Zang, T., Willett, B., Boutell, C., Bieniasz, P.D., and Wilson, S.J. 2014 Host and viral determinants of Mx2 antiretroviral activity. J Virol 88(14)7738-52. PMID:24760893

Kane, M., Yadav, S.S., Bitzegeio, J., Kutluay, S.B., Zang, T., Wilson, S.J., Schoggins, J.W., Rice, C.M., Yamashita, M., Hatziooannou, T., Bieniasz, P.D. 2013. MX2 is an interferon-induced inhibitor of HIV-1 infection. Nature 502:563-6. PMID: 24121441

Beyer, A.R., Bann, D.V., Rice, B., Pultz, I.S., Kane, M., Goff, S.P., Golovkina, T.V., Parent, L.J. 2012. Nucleolar trafficking of the mouse mammary tumor virus gag protein induced by interaction with ribosomal protein L9. J Virol 87:1069-82, PMID: 23135726.

Kane, M., Case, L.K., Kopaskie, K., Kozlova, A., MacDearmid, C., Chervonsky, A.V., Golovkina, T.V. 2011. Successful virus transmission depends on microbiota. Science 334:245-9. PMID: 21998394.

Kane, M., Case, L.K., Wang, C., Yurkovetskiy, L., Dikiy, S., Golovkina T.V. 2011. Innate Immune Sensing of Retroviral Infection via Toll-like Receptor 7 Occurs upon Viral Entry. Immunity 35:135-145. PMID: 21723157.

Kane, M., Case, L.K., Golovkina T.V. 2011. Vital role for CD8+ cells in controlling retroviral infections. J Virol 85:3415-3423. PMID: 21248041.