Ramona Moles, PhD

Ramona Moles, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department:
SOM-Cell and Molecular Biology

Email:
rmoles@umc.edu

Work Phone:
(601) 984-1000

Biography

Dr. Ramona Moles is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Immunology and Microbial Research (CIMR) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Moles's research laboratory aims to understand innate immunity's role in persistent infection and viral oncogenesis.
Dr. Moles received her Ph.D. at the University of Kansas, where she studied the oncogenic retrovirus HTLV-1. Her research focused on microRNAs and DNA repair dysregulation involved in HTLV-1 pathogenesis. Dr. Moles showed that targeting the DNA repair machinery represents a promising therapeutic strategy for HTLV-1 patients.
After completing her Ph.D. in Pathology, Dr. Moles continued her research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI, NIH), investigating the immunological responses against HTLV-1 in vitro and in vivo. The Center for Cancer Research awarded Dr. Moles's work twice with the Federal Technology Transfer Award for characterizing early immunological responses against HTLV-1 infection. This knowledge is crucial to developing an HTLV-1 vaccine.

Education

University of Kansas, PhD, Pathology2017
University of Bologna, MS, Biology2011
University of Bologna, BS, Biology2008

Current Positions

Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry11/2023 - Present
The University of Mississippi Medical Center
Jackson, Mississippi 39216

Sponsored Program Funding

Intramural, Role of monocytes engulfment in HTLV‐1 infection, UMMC09/2024 - 09/2025
Extramural, Molecular Center of Health and Disease (MCHD) COBRE, NIH06/2024 - 06/2025

Publications

Journal Article

Pise-Masison CA, Rahman MA, Masison DC, Gutowska A, Moles R, Bissa M, Sarkis S, Schifanella L, Zhou T, Jones J, Jacobson S, Franchini G. Development and optimization of human T-cell leukemia virus-specific antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay directed to the envelope protein J Virol. 2025 Mar 28:e0226824.2025
Moles R, Omsland M, Pise-Masison CA, Subleski JJ, McVicar DW, Sarkis S, Gutowska A, Schifanella L, Doster M, Washington-Parks R, Ciminale V, Franchini G. HTLV-1 p13 Protein Hijacks Macrophage Polarization and Promotes T-Cell Recruitment Viruses. 2025 Mar 26;17(4):471.2025
Rahman MA, Bissa M, Scinto H, Howe SE, Sarkis S, Ma ZM, Gutowska A, Jiang X, Luo CC, Schifanella L, Moles R, Silva de Castro I, Basu S, N'guessan KF, Williams LD, Becerra-Flores M, Doster MN, Hoang T, Choo-Wosoba H, Woode E, Sui Y, Tomaras GD, Paquin-Proulx D, Rao M, Talton JD, Kong XP, Zolla-Pazner S, Cardozo T, Franchini G, Berzofsky JA. Loss of HIV candidate vaccine efficacy in male macaques by mucosal nanoparticle immunization rescued by V2-specific response Nat Commun. 2024 Oct 22;15(1):9102.2024
Gutowska A, Sarkis S, Rahman MA, Goldfarbmuren KC, Moles R, Bissa M, Doster M, Washington-Parks R, McKinnon K, Silva de Castro I, Schifanella L, Franchini G, Pise-Masison CA. Complete Rescue of HTLV-1p12KO Infectivity by Depletion of Monocytes Together with NK and CD8+ T Cells Pathogens. 2024 Mar 29;13(4):292.2024
Bissa M, et al. In Vivo Treatment with Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Reduces CCR5 Expression on Vaccine-Induced Activated CD4+ T-Cells Vaccines (Basel). 2023 Oct 30;11(11):1662.2023
Rahman MA, Bissa M, Silva de Castro I, Helmold Hait S, Stamos JD, Bhuyan F, Hunegnaw R, Sarkis S, Gutowska A, Doster MN, Moles R, Hoang T, Miller Jenkins LM, Appella E, Venzon DJ, Choo-Wosoba H, Cardozo T, Baum MM, Appella DH, Robert-Guroff M, Franchini G. Vaccine plus microbicide effective in preventing vaginal SIV transmission in macaques. Nat Microbiol. 2023 Aug;8(8):1600.2023
Rahman MA, Bissa M, Silva de Castro I, Helmold Hait S, Stamos JD, Bhuyan F, Hunegnaw R, Sarkis S, Gutowska A, Doster MN, Moles R, Hoang T, Miller Jenkins LM, Appella E, Venzon DJ, Choo-Wosoba H, Cardozo T, Baum MM, Appella DH, Robert-Guroff M, Franchini G. Vaccine plus microbicide effective in preventing vaginal SIV transmission in macaques Nat Microbiol. 2023 May;8(5):905-918.2023
Bissa M, Kim S, Galli V, Fourati S, Sarkis S, Arakelyan A, de Castro IS, Rahman MA, Fujiwara S, Vaccari M, Tomalka JA, Stamos JD, Schifanella L, Gorini G, Moles R, Gutowska A, Ferrari G, Lobanov A, Montefiori DC, Nelson GW, Cam MC, Chakhtoura M, Haddad EK, Doster MN, McKinnon K, Brown S, Venzon DJ, Choo-Wosoba H, Breed MW, Killoran KE, Kramer J, Margolis L, Sekaly RP, Hager GL, Franchini G. HIV vaccine candidate efficacy in female macaques mediated by cAMP-dependent efferocytosis and V2-specific ADCC Nat Commun. 2023 Feb 2;14(1):575.2023
Gutowska A, et al. Transient viral activation in human T cell leukemia virus type 1-infected macaques treated with Pomalidomide Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 May 5:9:897264.2022
Moles R, Sarkis S, Galli V, Omsland M, Artesi M, Bissa M, McKinnon K, Brown S, Hahaut V, Washington-Parks R, Welsh J, Venzon DJ, Gutowska A, Doster MN, Breed MW, Killoran KE, Kramer J, Jones J, Moniuszko M, Van den Broeke A, Pise-Masison CA, Franchini G. NK cells and monocytes modulate primary HTLV-1 infection PLoS Pathog. 2022 Apr 4;18(4):e10104162022
Bellon M, Moles R, Chaib-Mezrag H, Pancewicz J, Nicot C. JAG1 overexpression contributes to Notch1 signaling and the migration of HTLV-1-transformed ATL cells J Hematol Oncol. 2018 Sep 19;11(1):119.2018
Moles R, Bai XT, Chaib-Mezrag H, Nicot C. WRN-targeted therapy using inhibitors NSC 19630 and NSC 617145 induce apoptosis in HTLV-1-transformed adult T-cell leukemia cells J Hematol Oncol. 2016 Nov 9;9(1):121.2016
Yeh CH, Bai XT, Moles R, Ratner L, Waldmann TA, Watanabe T, Nicot C. Mutation of epigenetic regulators TET2 and MLL3 in patients with HTLV-I-induced acute adult T-cell leukemia Mol Cancer. 2016 Feb 16;15:15.2016
Bai XT, Moles R, Chaib-Mezrag H, Nicot C. Small PARP inhibitor PJ-34 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of adult T-cell leukemia cells Journal of hematology & oncology 8, 1-122015
Moles R, Bellon M, Nicot C. STAT1: A novel target of miR-150 and miR-223 is involved in the proliferation of HTLV-I–transformed and ATL cells Neoplasia. 2015 May;17(5):449-62.2015

Review Article

Echevarria-Lima J, Moles R. Monocyte and Macrophage Functions in Oncogenic Viral Infections. Viruses. 2024 Oct 15;16(10):1612.2024
Omsland M, Silic-Benussi M, Moles R, Sarkis S, Purcell DFJ, Yurick D, Khoury G, D'Agostino DM, Ciminale V, Franchini G. Functional properties and sequence variation of HTLV-1 p13 Retrovirology. 2020 May 12;17(1):11.2020
Moles R, Sarkis S, Galli V, Omsland M, Purcell DFJ, Yurick D, Khoury G, Pise-Masison CA, Franchini G. p30 protein: a critical regulator of HTLV-1 viral latency and host immunity Retrovirology. 2019 Dec 18;16(1):42.2019
Sarkis S, Galli V, Moles R, Yurick D, Khoury G, Purcell DFJ, Franchini G, Pise-Masison CA. Role of HTLV-1 orf-I encoded proteins in viral transmission and persistence Retrovirology. 2019 Dec 18;16(1):43.2019
Moles R. MicroRNAs-based therapy: a novel and promising strategy for cancer treatment Microrna. 2017 Aug 16;6(2):102-109.2017
Yeh CH, Moles R, Nicot C. Clinical significance of microRNAs in chronic and acute human leukemia. Mol Cancer. 2016 May 14;15(1):37.2016
Moles R, Nicot C. The Emerging Role of miRNAs in HTLV-1 Infection and ATLL Pathogenesis 262054032015
Sapone A, Canistro D, Melega S, Moles R, Vivarelli F, Paolini M. On enzyme-based anticancer molecular dietary manipulations. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:790987.2012

Abstracts

Rahman, MA; Scinto, H; Bissa, M; Howe, SE; Sarkis, S; Jiang, X; Luo, CC; Gutowska, A; Schifanella, L; Moles, R; de Castro, IS; Flores, MB et al. V2-specific responses rescues SIV vaccine efficacy decreased by mucosal immunization with nanoparticles2024
A Sapone, D Canistro, G Potenza, F Vivarelli, R Moles, M Paolini Modulazione della superfamiglia CYP in Dreissena polymorpha esposte ad acqua del Lago Trasimeno trattata con differenti disinfettanti. 16° Congresso Nazionale Società Italiana di Tossicologia2012
D Fujikawa, R Moles, M Omsland, D Purcell, V Galli, G Franchini A-102 Do biological differences exist between HTLV-1A and HTLV-1C? JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 81, 30

Dissertation

Moles R. CELLULAR PATHWAY DEREGULATION AND POTENTIAL TARGETED THERAPY FOR ADULT T-CELL LEUKEMIA2017

Presentations

CMB Seminar, Role of monocytes in oncogenic viral infection and associated cancer, CMB, Jackson, MS01/2025
MCHD-COBRE External Advisory Committee Annual Meeting, Role of monocytes in oncogenic viral infection and associated cancer, MCHD-COBRE External Advisory Committee Annual Meeting, Jackson, MS01/2025
COBRE seminar Presentation, Role of monocytes in oncogenic viral infection and associated cancer, Jackson, MS11/2024
Invited Symposia, TLV-1 p13 viral protein change cellular metabolism of infected cells, NIH, Bethesda, MD10/2023
Invited Symposia, Role of Monocytes, CTL and NK cells in primary HTLV-1 infection, UMMC, Jackson05/2023
Invited Symposia, Role of Monocytes, CTL and NK cells in primary HTLV-1 infection, Auburn University, Auburn, AL04/2023
Invited Symposia, Role of Monocytes, CTL and NK cells in primary HTLV-1 infection, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, La Crosse03/2023
Invited Symposia, Role of Monocytes, CTL and NK cells in primary HTLV-1 infection, Wistar, Philadelphia10/2022
State/Local Invited Seminars/Lectures, NK, CD8+ and monocytes modulate primary HTLV-1 infection, NIH, Bethesda, MD04/2022
Poster Presentation, Engulfment of htlv-1 infected cells by monocytes and NK cells modulate primary htlv-1 infection, EMBO, Virtual12/2021
National and International Invited Seminars/Lectures, Depletion of Innate Myeloid and NK cells exacerbate HTLV-I infection and rescues the infectivity of the HTLV-I orf-I knock-out virus, Virtual04/2021
Poster Presentation, Characterization of chimeric Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Subtype A and C, NIH Think Tank meeting Poster presentation, Bethesda12/2019
State/Local Invited Seminars/Lectures, Role of the HTLV-1 p13 viral protein in early infection, NIH, Bethesda, MD12/2019
National and International Invited Seminars/Lectures, Characterization of chimeric Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type I (HTLV-I) Subtype A and C, Lima, Peru04/2019
State/Local Invited Seminars/Lectures, Putative orf-I expression in HTLV-I C via a doubly spliced mRNA rex-orf-I, NIH, Bethesda, MD12/2018
Invited Symposia, DNA repair inhibition as a new therapy for adult T-cell Leukemia, Moffitt Cancer Center09/2017
National and International Invited Seminars/Lectures, CYP in Dreissena Polymorpha esposte ad acqua del Lago Trasimeno trattata con differenti disinfettanti07/2012
Invited Symposia, Role of Monocytes, CTL and NK cells in primary HTLV-1 infection, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA

Honors, Awards, and Recognition

Selected member of Early Career Reviewer (ECR) Program, NIH Center for Scientific Review2025
Selected member of the Early Investigator Advancement Program (EIAP), NCI2024
Travel Award, NIH Think Tank meeting2023
Federal Technology Transfer Award, NCI2022
Federal Technology Transfer Award, NCI2021
Early-Career Researcher Award, Cancer Immunotherapy Meeting2021
Selected member of the Diversity Career Development Program (DCDP), NCI2020
Research Award, Center for Viral Pathogenesis Research Symposium2017
Certificate of Excellence, UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MED CTR2016
Msc with Honor, University of Bologna2012

Committee Service

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION, Member2024 - Present
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION, Judge2024 - 2024
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION, Member2024 - 2024

Community Service

Learning Undefeated’ virtual event aimed to promote STEM education, Organizer06/2021 - 06/2021

Teaching Experience

702, Medicine, Course, Lecturer, Advinced VirologySpring 2025 - 2025
740, Medicine, Course, Lecturer, Cell and Molecular Biology MethodsFall 2024 - 2024
740, Medicine, Course, Lecturer, Cell and Molecular Biology MethodsFall 2023 - 2023

Directed Student Learning

Supervised Research, Advised: Asma Ul Taslim2025 - 2025
Supervised Research, Advised: Christian A. Owusu2025 - 2025
Supervised Research, Advised: Charles Moore2024 - 2024
Supervised Research, Advised: Robin Minati2018 - 2028
Supervised Research, Advised: Clarissa Xia2017 - 2017