Alex Sigal
Alex Sigal
Born1970
CitizenshipIsraeli, Canadian
Alma materBSc, University of Toronto,
PhD, Weizmann Institute of Science
Known forIsolation of SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant; establishing ability of Beta and Omicron variants to escape antibody neutralization from previous infections and vaccines.
AwardsEMBO Fellow (2007)
Human Frontiers Long-Term fellowship (2007)
Human Frontiers Career Development Award (2012)
Scientific career
FieldsVirology
InstitutionsAfrica Health Research Institute
Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology (Berlin)
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Doctoral advisorUri Alon
Other academic advisorsDavid Baltimore
Websitehttps://www.sigallab.net/

Alex Sigal is a South Africa–based virologist at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) in Durban, South Africa,[1] Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin,[2] and University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban. His work concentrates on evolution and persistence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. His laboratory was the first to isolate the live B.1.351 (Beta) variant of SARS-CoV-2 first detected in South Africa.[3] Sigal’s laboratory was also the first to report results on the ability of the Omicron variant to escape antibody neutralization in individuals who had two doses of the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine as well as from previous infections, with results also suggesting that vaccination combined with a booster or previous infection can offer protection from symptomatic infection with Omicron.[4][5][6]

Education

Sigal earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, Master's degree from the Weizmann Institute of Science, and PhD in Systems Biology from the Weizmann Institute of Science under the supervision of Uri Alon.[7]

Research interests

Sigal joined the laboratory of David Baltimore in 2007 at Caltech for his postdoctoral work where he worked on problems related to HIV virology. He joined AHRI 2013 in Durban, South Africa as a Max Planck Research Group Leader affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin.[2][1] At AHRI he broadened his research to the study of drug-resistant tuberculosis and in 2020 to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Sigal's current core research is directed at understanding SARS-CoV-2 evolution and long term-persistence and its consequences for transmission, immune escape, and long Covid, with particular interest in the effects of co-infections such as HIV and TB, antibody neutralization, and cell-to-cell spread of SARS-CoV-2. In particular, Sigal's work has found that the Beta and Omicron variants can escape antibodies from previous infections and vaccinations [8][9][10] and that antibodies generated from previous infections with the Beta and Omicron variants may offer cross protection against other variants.[11][12] In particular, antibodies from an infection with the Omicron variant appear to protect against infection with the Delta variant.[13][14]

Awards

  • EMBO Fellow (2007)
  • Human Frontiers Long-Term fellowship (2007)[15]
  • Human Frontiers Career Development Award (2013)[16]

Selected publications

  • Cele, Sandile; Gazy, Inbal; Jackson, Laurelle; Hwa, Shi-Hsia; Tegally, Houriiyah; Lustig, Gila; Giandhari, Jennifer; Pillay, Sureshnee; Wilkinson, Eduan; Naidoo, Yeshnee; Karim, Farina; Ganga, Yashica; Khan, Khadija; Bernstein, Mallory; Balazs, Alejandro B.; Gosnell, Bernadett I.; Hanekom, Willem; Moosa, Mahomed-Yunus S.; Lessells, Richard J.; De Oliveira, Tulio; Sigal, Alex (2021). "Escape of SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 from neutralization by convalescent plasma". Nature. 593 (7857): 142–146. doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03471-w. PMC 9867906. PMID 33780970.
  • Madhi, Shabir A.; et al. (2021). "Efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Covid-19 Vaccine against the B.1.351 Variant". New England Journal of Medicine. 384 (20): 1885–1898. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2102214. PMC 7993410. PMID 33725432.
  • Cele, Sandile; et al. (23 December 2021). "Omicron extensively but incompletely escapes Pfizer BNT162b2 neutralization". Nature. 602 (7898): 654–656. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-03824-5. PMC 8866126. PMID 35016196.

References

  1. 1 2 "Alex Sigal". Africa Health Research Institute. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Systems Infection Biology". www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  3. ↑ Cele, Sandile; Gazy, Inbal; Jackson, Laurelle; Hwa, Shi-Hsia; Tegally, Houriiyah; Lustig, Gila; Giandhari, Jennifer; Pillay, Sureshnee; Wilkinson, Eduan; Naidoo, Yeshnee; Karim, Farina (2021). "Escape of SARS-CoV-2 501Y.V2 from neutralization by convalescent plasma". Nature. 593 (7857): 142–146. doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03471-w. ISSN 1476-4687. PMC 9867906. PMID 33780970.
  4. ↑ "Scientist who helped discover Omicron variant warns of its potential: "This is probably the most mutated virus we'd ever seen"". www.cbsnews.com. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  5. ↑ Mandavilli, Apoorva (28 November 2021). "Will the Vaccines Stop Omicron? Scientists Are Racing to Find Out". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  6. ↑ Hinshaw, Jason Douglas and Drew (7 December 2021). "Early Lab Test Shows Omicron Weakening Vaccine Effectiveness". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  7. ↑ "People". Uri Alon. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  8. ↑ Callaway, Ewen (21 January 2021). "Fast-spreading COVID variant can elude immune responses". Nature. 589 (7843): 500–501. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00121-z. PMID 33479534. S2CID 231679070.
  9. ↑ "COVID strain in South Africa shows huge resistance to antibodies from original virus". www.cbsnews.com. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  10. ↑ Cele, Sandile; Jackson, Laurelle; Khoury, David S.; Khan, Khadija; Moyo-Gwete, Thandeka; Tegally, Houriiyah; San, James Emmanuel; Cromer, Deborah; Scheepers, Cathrine; Amoako, Daniel; Karim, Farina (23 December 2021). "Omicron extensively but incompletely escapes Pfizer BNT162b2 neutralization". Nature. 602 (7898): 654–656. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-03824-5. PMC 8866126. PMID 35016196.
  11. ↑ Winning, Alexander (3 March 2021). "South African scientists find antibodies from variant may offer cross-protection". Reuters. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "South African scientists find antibodies from variant may offer cross-protection". BreakingNews.ie. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  13. ↑ Zimmer, Carl (28 December 2021). "Omicron Variant Might Help Defend Against Delta, Lab Study Suggests". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  14. ↑ "South Africa study suggests Omicron could displace Delta". Reuters. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  15. ↑ "Awards | Human Frontier Science Program". www.hfsp.org. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  16. ↑ "Awards | Human Frontier Science Program". www.hfsp.org. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
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