Ronald B. Corley, PhD
Emeritus Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Virology, Immunology & Microbiology

PhD, Duke University
BS, Duke University



My research focuses on the relationship between innate and adaptive immunity, and how components of the two discrete systems interact to generate long-lasting protective immune responses. One area of focus has been on the role of IgM antibodies as efficient bridges of innate and adaptive immunity. IgM antibodies serve to concentrate antigens into secondary lymphoid organs, accelerating the production of protective immune responses along with affinity matured antibodies. IgM also contributes to preventing pathogens from initially localizing into vital organs. The innate functions of IgM can be attributed, at least in part, to its ability to concentrate immune complexes in the foci of the spleen, where innate B cells in the marginal zones traffic the complexes to follicular dendritic cells, stromal elements that promote efficient germinal center formation. These functions require native organization around the marginal sinuses for efficient adjuvant effects of IgM.

The laboratory also focuses on the immune consequences of infection with highly pathogenic hemorrhagic fever viruses, including filoviruses. Patients infected with these viruses often fail to make adaptive immune responses and succumb to infection. While this is often attributed to dysfunctional innate immune responses, the nature of the defects in immune responses to these viruses is poorly understood. We are interested in in the very early immune responses to these viruses, in order to map how they affect the ability of infected animals to initiate adaptive immune responses, and identify the components of infection that lead to abnormal cytokine responses that characterize infection with these viruses.


National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories Operations
07/08/2021 - 06/30/2026 (PI of Sub-Project / SP)
PI: Nancy J. Sullivan, ScD
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5UC7AI095321-10

Staff Scientists/Veterinary Technicians at the NEIDL BSL33/4
05/01/2020 - 10/31/2022 (Subcontract PI)
President & Fellows of Harvard College on behalf of Harvard Medical School China Evergrande Gr


National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories Operations
06/01/2016 - 07/07/2021 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5UC7AI095321-07

National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories Operations
06/01/2015 - 05/31/2016 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5UC7AI095321-02

National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories Operations
06/01/2014 - 05/31/2016 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5UC7AI095321-02

National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories Operations
06/20/2012 - 07/31/2014 (Sub-Project Level Key Person)
PI: John R. Murphy, PhD
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
3UC7AI070088-05S3

IgM Polymerization and J Chain Expression
02/01/2000 - 01/31/2006 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
5 R01 AI31209 13

Functional Characterization of Genes Involved in V(D)J Recombination and DNA Repair
07/01/1998 - 06/30/2003 (Dept Sponsor)
Leukemia Society of America

Cellular and Molecular Events in B Lymphocyte Activation
05/01/1997 - 02/28/2003 (PI)
NIH/National Cancer Institute
5 R01 CA36642 19



Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2023 Administration 5UC7AI095321-10-8404
2023 Core 5: Integrated Support Services 5UC7AI095321-10-8409
2023 Core 4: Regulatory Compliance 5UC7AI095321-10-8408
2022 Administration 5UC7AI095321-09-8404
2022 Core 5: Integrated Support Services 5UC7AI095321-09-8409
2022 Core 4: Regulatory Compliance 5UC7AI095321-09-8408
2022 National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories Operations 5UC7AI095321-09
2021 Administration 2UC7AI095321-08-8404 1
2021 National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories Operations 2UC7AI095321-08 1
2021 Core 4: Regulatory Compliance 2UC7AI095321-08-8408 1
Showing 10 of 53 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Feitosa-Suntheimer F, Zhu Z, Mameli E, Dayama G, Gold AS, Broos-Caldwell A, Troupin A, Rippee-Brooks M, Corley RB, Lau NC, Colpitts TM, Londoño-Renteria B. Dengue Virus-2 Infection Affects Fecundity and Elicits Specific Transcriptional Changes in the Ovaries of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes. Front Microbiol. 2022; 13:886787.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35814655; PMCID: PMC9260120; DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.886787;
     
  2. Miorin L, Mire CE, Ranjbar S, Hume AJ, Huang J, Crossland NA, White KM, Laporte M, Kehrer T, Haridas V, Moreno E, Nambu A, Jangra S, Cupic A, Dejosez M, Abo KA, Tseng AE, Werder RB, Rathnasinghe R, Mutetwa T, Ramos I, de Aja JS, de Alba Rivas CG, Schotsaert M, Corley RB, Falvo JV, Fernandez-Sesma A, Kim C, Rossignol JF, Wilson AA, Zwaka T, Kotton DN, Mühlberger E, García-Sastre A, Goldfeld AE. The oral drug nitazoxanide restricts SARS-CoV-2 infection and attenuates disease pathogenesis in Syrian hamsters. bioRxiv. 2022 Feb 09.View Related Profiles. PMID: 35169796; PMCID: PMC8845418; DOI: 10.1101/2022.02.08.479634;
     
  3. Calisher CH, Carroll D, Colwell R, Corley RB, Daszak P, Drosten C, Enjuanes L, Farrar J, Field H, Golding J, Gorbalenya AE, Haagmans B, Hughes JM, Keusch GT, Lam SK, Lubroth J, Mackenzie JS, Madoff L, Mazet JK, Perlman SM, Poon L, Saif L, Subbarao K, Turner M. Science, not speculation, is essential to determine how SARS-CoV-2 reached humans. Lancet. 2021 07 17; 398(10296):209-211.View Related Profiles. PMID: 34237296; PMCID: PMC8257054; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01419-7;
     
  4. Yuen RR, Steiner D, Pihl RMF, Chavez E, Olson A, Smith EL, Baird LA, Korkmaz F, Urick P, Sagar M, Berrigan JL, Gummuluru S, Corley RB, Quillen K, Belkina AC, Mostoslavsky G, Rifkin IR, Kataria Y, Cappione AJ, Gao W, Lin NH, Bhadelia N, Snyder-Cappione JE. Novel ELISA Protocol Links Pre-Existing SARS-CoV-2 Reactive Antibodies With Endemic Coronavirus Immunity and Age and Reveals Improved Serologic Identification of Acute COVID-19 via Multi-Parameter Detection. Front Immunol. 2021; 12:614676.View Related Profiles. PMID: 33897682; PMCID: PMC8062931; DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.614676;
     
  5. Calisher C, Carroll D, Colwell R, Corley RB, Daszak P, Drosten C, Enjuanes L, Farrar J, Field H, Golding J, Gorbalenya A, Haagmans B, Hughes JM, Karesh WB, Keusch GT, Lam SK, Lubroth J, Mackenzie JS, Madoff L, Mazet J, Palese P, Perlman S, Poon L, Roizman B, Saif L, Subbarao K, Turner M. Statement in support of the scientists, public health professionals, and medical professionals of China combatting COVID-19. Lancet. 2020 03 07; 395(10226):e42-e43.View Related Profiles. PMID: 32087122; PMCID: PMC7159294; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30418-9;
     
  6. Schultz MJ, Isern S, Michael SF, Corley RB, Connor JH, Frydman HM. Variable Inhibition of Zika Virus Replication by Different Wolbachia Strains in Mosquito Cell Cultures. J Virol. 2017 Jul 15; 91(14).View Related Profiles. PMID: 28446677; PMCID: PMC5487579; DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00339-17;
     
  7. Olejnik J, Ryabchikova E, Corley RB, Mühlberger E. Intracellular events and cell fate in filovirus infection. Viruses. 2011 Aug; 3(8):1501-31.View Related Profiles. PMID: 21927676; PMCID: PMC3172725; DOI: 10.3390/v3081501;
     
  8. Yasuda K, Richez C, Uccellini MB, Richards RJ, Bonegio RG, Akira S, Monestier M, Corley RB, Viglianti GA, Marshak-Rothstein A, Rifkin IR. Requirement for DNA CpG content in TLR9-dependent dendritic cell activation induced by DNA-containing immune complexes. J Immunol. 2009 Sep 1; 183(5):3109-17.View Related Profiles. PMID: 19648272; PMCID: PMC2860771; DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.0900399;
     
  9. Busconi L, Bauer JW, Tumang JR, Laws A, Perkins-Mesires K, Tabor AS, Lau C, Corley RB, Rothstein TL, Lund FE, Behrens TW, Marshak-Rothstein A. Functional outcome of B cell activation by chromatin immune complex engagement of the B cell receptor and TLR9. J Immunol. 2007 Dec 1; 179(11):7397-405.View Related Profiles. PMID: 18025183
     
  10. Corley RB, Morehouse EM, Ferguson AR. IgM accelerates affinity maturation. Scand J Immunol. 2005 Jul; 62 Suppl 1:55-61. PMID: 15953185
     
Showing 10 of 102 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 82 publications over 32 distinct years, with a maximum of 6 publications in 1985 and 1992

YearPublications
19804
19813
19824
19833
19844
19856
19862
19873
19883
19892
19903
19914
19926
19932
19942
19952
19961
19973
19983
19992
20001
20021
20031
20044
20054
20071
20091
20111
20171
20201
20212
20222


Lab-leak fears are putting virologists under scrutiny

Washington Post 1/18/2023

BU researchers discover a mutation that may be weakening COVID

WBUR 1/12/2023

Coronavirus ‘chimera’ made in lab shows what makes omicron seemingly less deadly

The Washington Post 1/11/2023

Best of The Brink 2022: BU’s Most-Read Science and Research Stories

BU Today 12/13/2022

BU responds to NIH funding clarification request after false stories about NEIDL's COVID work

BU Today 11/4/2022

News that Boston University created a lethal COVID strain ‘sensationalized’ and misrepresented, microbiologist says

MassLive 10/18/2022

Nancy J. Sullivan, Ebola Vaccine and Treatment Pioneer, Named New NEIDL Director

BU Today 9/16/2022

We work with dangerous pathogens in a downtown Boston biocontainment lab – here’s why you can feel safe about our research

The Conversation 7/14/2021

One of the original lab leak deniers calls for a 'thorough investigation' into Covid's origin

Daily Mail 6/5/2021

Nahid Bhadelia to Head New BU Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy and Research

BU Today 5/18/2021

How effective is a single vaccine dose against Covid-19?

BBC 1/14/2021

How scientists plan to protect Earth from extraterrestrial germs

National Geographic 12/11/2020

Experts: 2 COVID-19 Vaccines Bring Us Into ‘New Territory’

Futurity 11/20/2020

President Trump has COVID-19. BU Scientists Say There Could Be “a Large Cluster in the White House”

The Brink 10/2/2020

BU NEIDL’s COVID-19 Work the Subject of a New Yorker Profile

BU Today 7/24/2020

Can Nitric Oxide Prevent COVID-19 Infection or Progression?

Medscape 5/26/2020

BU Scientists Awarded $1.9 Million to Accelerate Coronavirus Research

BU Today 5/13/2020

Decoding COVID-19

PBS Nova 5/13/2020

Live Coronavirus Research Gets Underway at BU NEIDL

BU Today 3/19/2020

Boston Experts: We Need to Scale Up Coronavirus Testing Now

BU Today 3/13/2020

Experts: Here’s What We Know About The New Coronavirus

Futurity 3/12/2020

How the Greater Boston biomedical community is tackling the coronavirus

The Boston Globe 3/5/2020

BU Infectious Disease Experts on What We’ve Learned about Coronavirus

BU Today 3/4/2020

BU NEIDL Scientists Join International Coronavirus Research Effort

BU Today 3/2/2020

Harvard Scientists to Collaborate With Those in China on $115 Million Coronavirus Effort

The Boston Globe 2/25/2020

As Ebola Research Comes to Boston, Scientists Weigh Risks

Contagion Live 8/31/2018

BU's Infectious Disease Lab Begins Ebola Research

WBUR 8/20/2018
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

emerging infectious diseases
immunology
microbiology
virology
Contact for Mentoring:

650 Albany St
Boston MA 02118
Google Map


Corley's Networks
Click the "See All" links for more information and interactive visualizations
Concepts
_
Media Mentions
_
Co-Authors
_
Similar People
_
Same Department