Oscar Gonzalez, M.S., MBA, LSSBB

Oscar Gonzalez, M.S., MBA, LSSBB

Ayer, Massachusetts, United States
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About

I’ve seen how brilliant scientists and leaders struggle—not due to lack of expertise, but…

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Experience

  • Sigma Lab Consulting Graphic

    Sigma Lab Consulting

    Greater Boston

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    Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

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    Newton, MA

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    Newton, MA

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    Newton, MA

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    Greater Boston Area

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    Greater Boston Area

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    Boston University School of Medicine

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    Radiology - Nuclear Medicine

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    Norfolk, Virginia

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    Winston-Salem, NC

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    Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine

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Education

  • Questrom School of Business, Boston University Graphic

    Boston University Questrom School of Business

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    Interests: Strategy, Leadership Biotechnology, Project Management, Entrepreneurship

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    As I chose the clinical path in Bioimaging, my practicum consisted of creating a Nuclear Medicine path. As the current program lacked the infrastructure to teach Nuclear Medicine topics, I created a new curriculum, under the direction of the Co-Directors, including 2 brand new courses (Diagnostic Imaging in Nuclear Medicine and Pathophysiology, and Nuclear Pharmacy, Pharmacology, and Radionuclide Therapy), as well as the requirements for the Nuclear Medicine internship. To accompany this…

    As I chose the clinical path in Bioimaging, my practicum consisted of creating a Nuclear Medicine path. As the current program lacked the infrastructure to teach Nuclear Medicine topics, I created a new curriculum, under the direction of the Co-Directors, including 2 brand new courses (Diagnostic Imaging in Nuclear Medicine and Pathophysiology, and Nuclear Pharmacy, Pharmacology, and Radionuclide Therapy), as well as the requirements for the Nuclear Medicine internship. To accompany this, amendments to current program syllabi were created to ensure coverage of nuclear medicine topics as deemed necessary for recognition by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists. Coursework as well as internship in nuclear medicine are currently being piloted.

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    This is a one year appointment through the Hypertension and Vascular Research Department.

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    Activities and Societies: VCU Crew Club

    Three semesters of engineering before returning to biology.

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Licenses & Certifications

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Publications

  • Antibodies and acidic environment do not enhance HIV-1 transcytosis

    The Journal of Infectious Diseases

    A limited number of HIV-1 variants initially infect naïve individuals. Recent studies imply that this may occur because generally inefficient transcytosis across intact mucosal surfaces could be enhanced for specific viruses with bound antibodies and in the presence of acidic pH. We found that transcytosis of both cell-free and cell-associated viruses with diverse envelopes was significantly decreased in the presence of either antibodies or plasma from chronically infected transmitting partners…

    A limited number of HIV-1 variants initially infect naïve individuals. Recent studies imply that this may occur because generally inefficient transcytosis across intact mucosal surfaces could be enhanced for specific viruses with bound antibodies and in the presence of acidic pH. We found that transcytosis of both cell-free and cell-associated viruses with diverse envelopes was significantly decreased in the presence of either antibodies or plasma from chronically infected transmitting partners regardless of pH. Transmitted variants also did not have greater transmigration compared to chronic infection strains. Enhanced translocation capacity is unlikely to influence which HIV-1 variant establishes infection.

    See publication

  • Humoral Immune Pressure Selects for HIV-1 CXC-chemokine Receptor 4-using Variants

    EBioMedicine

    Although both C-C chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5)- and CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4)-using HIV-1 strains cause AIDS, the emergence of CXCR4-utilizing variants is associated with an accelerated decline in CD4+ T cells. It remains uncertain if CXCR4-using viruses hasten disease or if these variants only emerge after profound immunological damage. We show that exclusively CXCR4- as compared to cocirculating CCR5-utilizing variants are less sensitive to neutralization by both contemporaneous…

    Although both C-C chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5)- and CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4)-using HIV-1 strains cause AIDS, the emergence of CXCR4-utilizing variants is associated with an accelerated decline in CD4+ T cells. It remains uncertain if CXCR4-using viruses hasten disease or if these variants only emerge after profound immunological damage. We show that exclusively CXCR4- as compared to cocirculating CCR5-utilizing variants are less sensitive to neutralization by both contemporaneous autologous plasma and plasma pools from individuals that harbor only CCR5-using HIV-1. The CXCR4-utilizing variants, however, do not have a global antigenic change because they remain equivalently susceptible to antibodies that do not target coreceptor binding domains. Studies with envelope V3 loop directed antibodies and chimeric envelopes suggest that the neutralization susceptibility differences are potentially influenced by the V3 loop. In vitro passage of a neutralization sensitive CCR5-using virus in the presence of autologous plasma and activated CD4+ T cells led to the emergence of a CXCR4-utilizing virus in 1 of 3 cases. These results suggest that in some but not necessarily all HIV-1 infected individuals humoral immune pressure against the autologous virus selects for CXCR4-using variants, which potentially accelerates disease progression. Our observations have implications for using antibodies for HIV-1 immune therapy.

    Other authors
    • Nina Lin, Oscar A. Gonzalez, Ludy Registre, Carlos Becerril, Behzad Etemad, Hong Lu, Xueling Wu, Shahin Lockma
    See publication

  • Single genome amplification and standard bulk PCR yield HIV-1 envelope products with similar genotypic and phenotypic characteristics

    Journal of Virology Methods/ Elsevier B.V.

    Recent studies suggest that single genome amplification (SGA) as compared to standard bulk PCR and virus stocks from 293T transfection versus short term passage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) yield a less biased representation of HIV-1 envelope characteristics. In 9 different subjects, genetic diversity, divergence, and population structure were not significantly different among SGA or bulk PCR amplified envelope V1–V3 segments. In these subjects, 293T transfection derived virus…

    Recent studies suggest that single genome amplification (SGA) as compared to standard bulk PCR and virus stocks from 293T transfection versus short term passage in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) yield a less biased representation of HIV-1 envelope characteristics. In 9 different subjects, genetic diversity, divergence, and population structure were not significantly different among SGA or bulk PCR amplified envelope V1–V3 segments. In these subjects, 293T transfection derived virus stocks with SGA or bulk PCR amplified envelopes have similar infectivity, replication kinetics, co-receptor usage, and neutralization susceptibility. While PBMC passage as compared to the 293T derived virus stocks had similar co-receptor usage, PBMC viruses were less neutralization susceptible to some specific antibodies. Our results suggest that the method of envelope sequence amplification, either SGA or bulk PCR, does not have a significant impact on the genotypic and phenotypic properties of the virus envelope quasispecies.

    See publication

  • Characterization of HIV-1 envelopes in acutely and chronically infected injection drug users

    Retrovirology


    Background: Mucosally acquired human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection results from a limited number of variants, and these infecting strains potentially have unique properties, such as increased susceptibility to entry blockers, relative interferon-alpha (IFN-α) resistance, and replication differences in some primary cells. There is no data about the phenotypic properties of HIV-1 envelope variants found early after acquisition among subjects infected through injection drug…


    Background: Mucosally acquired human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection results from a limited number of variants, and these infecting strains potentially have unique properties, such as increased susceptibility to entry blockers, relative interferon-alpha (IFN-α) resistance, and replication differences in some primary cells. There is no data about the phenotypic properties of HIV-1 envelope variants found early after acquisition among subjects infected through injection drug use (IDU). For the first time, we compared the characteristics of virus envelopes among injection drug users sampled prior to seroconversion (HIV RNA+/Ab-), within 1 year (early), and more than 2 years (chronic) after estimated acquisition.
    Results: Virus envelopes from 7 HIV RNA+/Ab- subjects possessed lower genetic diversity and divergence compared to 7 unrelated individuals sampled during the chronic phase of disease. Replication competent recombinant viruses incorporating the HIV RNA+/Ab- as compared to the chronic phase envelopes were significantly more sensitive to a CCR5 receptor inhibitor and IFN-α and showed a statistical trend toward greater sensitivity to a fusion blocker. The early as compared to chronic infection envelopes also demonstrated a statistical trend or significantly greater sensitivity to CCR5 and fusion inhibitor and IFN- α. The HIV RNA+/Ab- as compared to chronic envelope viruses replicated to a lower extent in mature monocyte derived dendritic cells – CD4+ T cell co-cultures, but there were no significant replication differences in other primary cells among the viruses with envelopes from the 3 different stages of infection.
    Conclusions: Similar to mucosal acquisition, HIV-1 envelope quasispecies present in injection drug users prior to seroconversion have unique phenotypic properties compared to those circulating during the chronic phase of disease.

    See publication

  • Early Infection HIV-1 Envelope V1-V2 Genotypes Do Not Enhance Binding or Replication in Cells Expressing High Levels of α4β7 Integrin.

    Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiciency Syndrome

    Etemad B, Gonzalez OA, McDonough S, Pena-Cruz V, Sagar M.
    Source

    1Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA 2Dana Farber Cancer Research Center, Boston, MA, USA.
    Abstract

    It has been postulated that HIV-1 envelope properties, such as shorter and less glycosylated V1-V2 loops commonly observed among non-subtype B early - transmitted viruses, promote utilization of the gut homing integrin α4β7. This property potentially confers an advantage to some HIV-1 variants…

    Etemad B, Gonzalez OA, McDonough S, Pena-Cruz V, Sagar M.
    Source

    1Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA 2Dana Farber Cancer Research Center, Boston, MA, USA.
    Abstract

    It has been postulated that HIV-1 envelope properties, such as shorter and less glycosylated V1-V2 loops commonly observed among non-subtype B early - transmitted viruses, promote utilization of the gut homing integrin α4β7. This property potentially confers an advantage to some HIV-1 variants early after acquisition. We found that replication competent recombinant viruses incorporating HIV-1 subtype A compact and less glycosylated early versus chronic phase V1-V2 loops demonstrated no significant difference in binding to α4β7 high CD8+ T cells or replication in α4β7 high CD4+ T cells. Integrin α4β7 usage does not select for shorter less glycosylated envelopes during transmission.

    See publication

Projects

  • Panelist - Outsourcing Clinical Trials New England

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    "Early Phase Start-ups Post Pandemic: Discussing How to Start a Resilient Trial in a Disrupted World"

    Getting the start of your trial right is more important now than ever – join this talk to discuss how pandemic shaped protocols can advise future trial design

    The COVID-19 pandemic forced the industry to re-examine protocols and design strategies. What lessons can be learnt from this for future start up studies?
    Examining changing patient attitudes since the pandemic and…

    "Early Phase Start-ups Post Pandemic: Discussing How to Start a Resilient Trial in a Disrupted World"

    Getting the start of your trial right is more important now than ever – join this talk to discuss how pandemic shaped protocols can advise future trial design

    The COVID-19 pandemic forced the industry to re-examine protocols and design strategies. What lessons can be learnt from this for future start up studies?
    Examining changing patient attitudes since the pandemic and how this needs to be reflected in early stage trial protocols
    Discussing the need for flexibility in all early phase trials in order to be resilient in a disrupted and changing world

  • Speaker - Outsourcing Clinical Trials New England 2021

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    "Building the bridge from R&D to Early Phase Trials"

  • Panelist - Smartsheet Engage 2017

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    Panelist - Smartsheet in Healthcare

    See project

  • Speaker - AACR 2010 Brain Tumor Dinner

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    "The Role of Invadopodia in ephrinA1/EphA2 complex"

Honors & Awards

  • ICURE

    Karyopharm Therapeutics

    Most prestigious company award for exhibiting the Karyopharm values of Innovation, Courage, Urgency, Resilience, and Energy.

Languages

  • Spanish

    Native or bilingual proficiency

  • English

    Native or bilingual proficiency

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