Rasmi Thomas, Ph.D.
Chief, Laboratory of Integrative Multiomics
US Military HIV Research Program (MHRP)
Dr. Rasmi Thomas obtained her Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology at the University of Kerala, India. She completed her postdoctoral training with Dr. Mary Carrington from the National Cancer Institute, NIH in Frederick, MD.
Dr. Thomas oversees the Laboratory of Integrative Multiomics with the U.S. Military HIV Research Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. The Laboratory of Integrative Multiomics utilizes cutting-edge next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to identify variation in genes involved in host-pathogen interaction. We support studies related to disease acquisition, pathogenesis, response to vaccination or treatment outcomes.
In order to advance MHRP’s mission to develop an effective vaccine and eradicate HIV, we employ laboratory and bioinformatic methods to characterize host genetic, transcriptomic, epigenetic and microbiome variation using unbiased genome-wide sequencing approaches. Previous studies using gene chips have been limited, as they only screen a targeted number of variations and are inherently biased towards particular populations. Our lab uses unbiased NGS technologies to study diverse populations across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, screening genetic variations and identifying their functional basis. NGS methods for genotyping immune response genes that have previously been implicated in HIV-1 disease pathogenesis, such as the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA), have been developed in the laboratory and support ongoing clinical and research activities. RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology is being used for whole transcriptome expression profiling to elucidate mRNA gene expression and to analyze non-coding RNA.
Relevant to MHRP’s mission to develop an effective prophylactic vaccine, we recently showed that a vaccine-induced gene signature correlates with protection in both non-human primate and human trials. We are at the forefront of developing these RNA-Seq technologies for analysis of transcriptomes of single cells and detection of transcripts from intracellular pathogens. Integrating proteomics with other ‘omics’ datasets to shed light on mechanisms is another important focus of the group. Microbiome sequencing of gut and genital tract mucosa of HIV-1 infected patients by NGS is also being performed to support activities in other sections at MHRP. By using a range of innovative multifaceted strategies this group continues to make discoveries that can be applied to the central mission of MHRP to fight HIV.
