פרופ' נטליה פרוינד

Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

2006 – 2012       Ph.D., (Direct Track Program), Department of Cell Research and Immunology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel. Thesis title: “Mapping, Reconstitution and Use of Conformational B Cell Epitopes". PI: Prof. Jonathan M. Gershoni.

2000 – 2003       B.Sc., Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS (Employment History)

2024 – present  Associate Professor Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

2022 – 2023       Assistant Professor with tenure, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

2017 – 2022       Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

2012 – 2017       Postdoctoral Associate, Laboratory for Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA. PI: Prof. Michel C. Nussenzweig.

Scientific Original Articles:

Polonsky K., Pupko T* and Freund NT* Evaluation of AlphaFold for Modeling the Three-Dimensional Structures of Antibodies and Epitope Prediction.  Journal of Immunology, November 2023. (3 citations, Q1, IF 5.4).

Ben-Shalom N, Sandbank E, Abramovitz L, Hezroni H, Levin T, Trachtenberg E, Fogel N, Mor M, Yefet R, Stoler-Barak L, Hagin D, Nakai A, Msaki Noda M, Suzuki K, Ziv Shulman Z, Ben-Elyiahu S, and Freund NT. β2-Adrenergic Signaling Promotes Higher-Affinity B Cells and Antibodies. Brain Behavior and Immunity, July 2023. (2 citations, Q1, IF 19).

Broketa M, Sokal A, Mor M, Canales-Herrerias P, Perima A, Meola A, Fernández I, Iannascoli B, Chenon G, Vandenberghe A, Languille L, Michel M, Godeau B, Gallien S, Melica G, Marija, Backovic M, Rey FA, Baudry J, Freund NT, Mahévas M and Bruhns P. Qualitative monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in humans using droplet microfluidics. JCI insight, June 2023. (1 citation, Q1, IF 6.3).

Yefet R, Friedel N, Tamir H, Polonsky K, Mor M, Cherry-Mirman L, Taleb, E, Hagin D, Schprecher E, Israely T and Freund NT. Monkeypox infection elicits strong antibody and B cell response against A35R and H3L antigens.26(2) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.105957 iScience February 2023. (17 citations, Q1, IF 5.4).

Rabinowitz KM, Navon M, Edelman-Klapper H, Zittan E, Bar-Gil Shitrit A, Goren I, Avni-Biron I, Ollech J, Lichtenstein L, Banai-Eran H, Yanai H, Snir Y, Pauker H M, Friedenberg A, Levy-Barda A, Segal A, Broytman Y, Maoz E, Ovadia B, Aharoni Golan M, Shachar E, Ben-Horin S, Maharshak N, Mor M, Ben Zvi H, Eliakim R, Barkan R, Sharar-Fischler T, Goren S, Krugliak N, Pichinuk E, Mor M, Werbner M, Alter J, Abu-Taha H , Kaboub K, Dessau M, Gal-Tanamy M, Cohen D, Freund NT*,  Dotan I*. Anti-TNFα Treatment Impairs Long-term Immune Responses to COVID-19 mRNA 2 Vaccine in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10081186 Vaccines, July 2022. (12 citations, Q1, IF 5.2).

Li R*, Mor M*, Ma B*, Werbner M, Alter J, Dessau M, Gal-Tanamy M, Croker BA*, Xiang Y* and Freund NT* ­Conformational Flexibility in Neutralization and Escape from Naturally Elicited anti-SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies. Communications Biology. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03739-5 August 2022. (8 citations, Q1, IF 6.5)

Mazor RD, Nathan N, Gilboa A, Stoler-Barak L, Moss L, Divinsky Y, Shmueli MD, Hezroni-Bravyi H, Zaretzky I, Golani O, Sabah G, Jakobson-Setton A, Yanichkin N, Mor M, Salman L, Yeoshoua E, Peretz E, Gershoni JM, Freund NT, Merbl Y, Yaari G, Ram E, Sagi I and Shulman Z. Tumor reactive antibodies evolve from non-functional and autoreactive precursors. Cell February 2022 15;S0092-8674(22)00192-1. DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2022.02.012. (75 citations, Cell biology Cell Biology 3/195, Q1, IF 41.5).

Edelman-Klapper H, Zittan E, Bar-Gil Shitrit A, Rabinowitz KM, Goren I, Avni-Biron I, Ollech J, Lichtenstein L, Banai-Eran H, Yanai H, Snir Y, Pauker H M, Friedenberg A, Levy-Barda A, Segal A, Broytman Y, Maoz E, Ovadia B, Aharoni Golan M, Shachar E, Ben-Horin S, Maharshak N, Perets TT, Eliakim R, Goren S, Navon M, Krugliak N, Werbner M, Alter J, Dessau M, Gal Tanamy M, Freund NT, Cohen DI and Dotan I. Decreased Immune Response to COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases treated with Anti-TNFalpha: a Prospective, Controlled, Multi-Center Israeli Study. Gastroenterology January 2022 (85 citations, Gastroenterology & Hepatology 4/92, Q1, IF 22.68).

Hagin D*, Freund T*, Navon M*, Adir D, Halperin T, Marom R, Levi I, Benor S, Yifat Y, Ram R and Freund NT. Immunogenicity of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in patients with inborn errors of immunity. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) June 2021. DOI 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.05.029 (173 citations, Immunology 15/62, Q1, IF 10.79).

Mor M, Werbner M, Alter L, Safra M, Chomsky E, Hada-Neeman S, Polonsky K, Nowell CJ, Clark AE, Roitburd-Berman A, Ben Shalom N, Navon M, Rafael D, Sharim H, Kiner E, Griffis E, Gershoni JM, Kobiler O, Lawrynowicz Leibel S, Zimhony O, Carlin AF, Yaari G, Dassau M, Gal-Tanamy M, Hagin D, Croker BA and Freund NT. Multi-Clonal SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization by Antibodies Isolated from Severe COVID-19 Convalescent Donors PloS Pathogens. February 2021. DOI 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009165. (45 citations, Microbiology 20/136, Q1, IF 6.68).

Munitz, A. Edry‑Botzer L , Itan M, Tur‑Kaspa R, Dicker D, Marcoviciu D, Goren MG , Mor M, Lev S, Gottesman T, Muhsen K, Cohen D, Stein M, Qimron U, Freund NT , Wine Y & Gerlic M. February 2021, 11: 3461. Rapid seroconversion and persistent functional IgG antibodies in severe COVID-19 patients correlates with an IL-12p70 and IL-33 signature Scientific Reports March 2021 11(1) (DOI 10.1038/s41598-021-83019-0, (40 citations, Multidisciplinary Sciences 17/72, Q1, IF 4.38).

Watson A, Li H, Ma B, Weiss R, Bendayan D, Abramovich L, Ben-Shalom N, Mor M, Pinko E, Bar-Oz M, Wang Z, Du F, Lu Y, Rybniker J, Dahan, R, Huang H, Barkan D, Xiang Y*, Javid B* & Freund NT*. Antibodies Targeting a Mycobacterium Transporter Mediate Protection Against tuberculosis. Nature Communications. January 2021, 12(602). DOI 10.1038/s41467-021-20930-0 (57 citations, Multidisciplinary Sciences 4/72, Q1, IF 14.99).

Barnes CO, Gristick HB, Freund NT, West Jr. AP, Nussenzweig MC, Bjorkman PJ. Structural characterization of a highly-potent V3-targeting broadly neutralizing antibody bound to natively glycosylated HIV-1 envelope revealed by an X-ray free electron laser.  Nature Communications March 2018 28;9(1):1251. DOI 10.1038/s41467-018-03632-y (101 citations, Multidisciplinary Sciences 4/72, Q1, IF 14.99).

Medina-Ramirez, Garces F, Escolano A, Skog P, de Taeye S, Moral-Sanchez ID, Dosenovic P, Hua Y, McGuire A, Gitlin A, Woude P, Freund NT, Yasmeen A, Behrens AJ, Ozorowski G, van den Kerkhof T, Sliepen K, Blane T, Kootstra N, van Breemen M, Pritchard L, Stanfield R, Crispin M, Ward A, Stamatatos L, Klasse P, ohn Moore J, Nemazee D, Nussenzweig MC, Wilson I, and Sanders RW. Design and crystal structure of a native-like HIV-1 envelope trimer that engages multiple broadly neutralizing antibody precursors in vivo. Journal of Experimental Medicine, Aug 2017 Aug 214(9): 2573-2590. DOI 10.1084/jem.20161160 (160 citations, Immunology 6/78, Q1, IF 14.3).

Wang H, Gristick HB, Scharf L, West Jr. AP, Galimidi RP, Seaman MS, Freund NT, Nussenzweig MC, Bjorkman PJ. Asymmetric recognition of HIV-1 Env trimer by V1V2 loop-targeting antibodies eLIFE, e27389, May 2017. DOI 10.7554/eLife.27389 (59 citations, Biology 5/93, Q1, IF 8.146).

Freund NT, Haoqing H, Scharf L, Noguiera L, Horwitz JA, Sievers S, Sok D, Golijanin J, Halper-Stromberg A, West A, Lorenzi JC, Toth I, Piechocka-Torcha A, Wang LX, Seaman MS, Burton D, Gazumyan A, Walker BD, Bjorkman PJ & Nussenzweig MC Co-existence of Potent HIV-1 Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies and Antibody-Sensitive Viruses in a Viremic Controller. Science Translational Medicine 2017 Jan 18;9(373). (170 citations, Medicine, Research & Experimental 2/140, Q1, IF 17.99).

Escolano A, Steichen J, Dosenovic P, Kulp D, Golijanin J, Sok D, Freund NT, Araki T,  Lowe S, Chen S, Heinemann J, Oliveira T, Gitlin A, Hui-Yao K, Georgeson E, Karen L, Francisco S, Gazumyan A, Burton D, Schief W.R, Nussenzweig M.C Sequential Immunization Elicits Broadly Neutralizing anti-HIV-1 Antibodies in Ig Knock in Mice  Cell 2016 Sep8;166(6):1445. (325 citations, Cell Biology 3/195, Q1, IF 41.5).

Steichen J.M, Kulp D.W, Tokatlian, T, Escolano A, Docenovic, P, Stanfield RL, McCoy L.E, Ozorowski G, Xiaozhen H, Kalyuzhniy, O, Briney B, Schiffner T, 0arces F, Freund NT, Gitlin, A, Georgeson E, Kubitz M, Adachi Y,  Jones M,  Mutafyan A, Yun D.S, Mayer C, Ward A, Burton D, Wilson IA, Irvine DJ, Nussenzweig MC, Schief WR HIV Vaccine Design to Target Germline Precursors of Glycan-Dependent Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies.  Immunity 2016 Sep 20 ;45(3):483. DOI 10.1016/j.immuni.2016.08.016 (275 citations, Immunology 2/162, Q1, IF 31.7).

McGuire AT, Gray MD, Dosenovic P, Gitlin AD, Freund NT, Petersen J, Correnti C, Johnsen W, Kegel R, Stuart AB, Glenn J, Seaman MS, Schief WR, Strong RK, Nussenzweig MC, Stamatatos L. Specifically modified Env immunogens activate B-cell precursors of broadly neutralizing HIV-1 antibodies in transgenic mice Nature Communications. 2016 Feb 24;7:10618 DOI 10.1038/ncomms10618, (106 citations, Multidisciplinary Sciences 4/72, Q1, IF 14.99).

Dosenovic P, von Boehmer L, Escolano A, Jardine J, Freund NT, Gitlin AD, McGuire AT, Kulp DW, Oliveira T, Scharf L, Pietzsch J, Gray MD, Cupo A, van Gils MJ, Yao KH, Liu C, Gazumyan A, Seaman MS, Björkman PJ, Sanders RW, Moore JP, Stamatatos L, Schief WR, Nussenzweig MC, Immunization for HIV-1 Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies in Human Ig Knockin Mice Cell. 2015 Jun 18;161(7):1505-15. DOI 0.1016/j.cell.2015.06.003 (378 citations, Cell Biology 3/195, Q1, IF 41.5).

Freund NT, Scheid JF, Mouquet H, Nussenzweig MC. Amplification of highly mutated human Ig lambda light chains from an HIV-1 infected patient. Journal of Immunological Methods. 2015 March 418:61-5. DOI 10.1016/j.jim.2015.01.011 (11 citations, Biochemichal research methods 55/78, Q3, IF 2.3).

Freund NT, Roitburd-Berman A, Sui J, Marasco WA, Gershoni JM Reconstitution of the receptor-binding motif of the SARS coronavirus Protein Engineering Design & Selection. 2015 Dec;28(12):567-75. DOI 10.1093/protein/gzv052.  (28 citations, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 145/19, Q4, IF 1.65).

Freund NT, Horwitz JA, Nogueira L, Sievers SA, Scharf L, Scheid JF, Gazumyan A, Liu C, Velinzon K, Goldenthal A, Sanders RW, Moore JP, Bjorkman PJ, Seaman MS, Walker BD, Klein F, Nussenzweig MC. A new glycan-dependent CD4-binding site neutralizing antibody exerts pressure on HIV-1 in vivo. PLoS Pathogens 2015 Oct 30;11(10):e1005238. DOI 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005238 (54 citations, Microbiology 20/136, Q1, IF 6.68).

Mayrose I, Penn O, Erez E, Rubinstein ND, Shlomi T, Freund NT, Bublil EM, Ruppin E, Sharan R, Gershoni JM, Martz E, Pupko T., Pepitope: epitope mapping from affinity-selected peptides Bioinformatics. 2007 Dec 1;23(23):3244-6. DOI10.1093/ bioinformatics/btm493 (95 citations, Biomedical Research Methods 6/78, Q1, IF 6.94).

Bublil EM*, Freund NT*, Mayrose I, Penn O, Roitburd- Berman A, Rubinstein ND, Pupko T, Gershoni JM *Both authors contributed equally to the work. Stepwise prediction of conformational discontinuous B-cell epitopes using the Mapitope algorithm Proteins. Structure, Function & Bioinformatics. 2007 Jul 1;68(1):294-304. DOI 10.1002/prot.21387 (67 citations, Biophisics  26/74 Q2, IF 3.756).

Tarnovitski, N, Matthews LJ, Sui J, Gershoni JM, Marasco WA Mapping a neutralizing epitope on the SARS coronavirus spike protein: computational prediction based on affinity-selected peptides Journal of Molecular Biology 2006 May 26;359(1):190-201. DOI 10.1016/j.jmb.2006.03.008 (45 citations, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 74/295, Q2, IF 5.469).

Commentaries

1. Freund NT, Gerlic M & Croker B. Walking down the memory lane with SARS-CoV-2 B cells. Immunology and Cell Biology 99(8):796-799, Sept 2021 DOI 10.1111/imcb.12494 (Immunology 58/162, Q2, IF 5.126).

2. Ben-Shalom N & Freund NT Unleashing antibody repones against HIV-1. Cell Host & Microbe June 2021 (Cell biology 3/136, Q1, IF 21.023).

3. Freund NT. Antibodies: what makes us stronger. Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics. May 2021. DOI 10.1080/21645515.2021.1929034 (Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology 68/159, Q2, IF 3.45)

Chapters and Reviews

1. Watson A., Maan H., Kolodkin-Gal, I. Freund NT Antibodies Against Biofilms Springer Nature October 2022 (2 citations)

2. Freund NT Enshell‐Seijffers D, Gershoni JM Phage display selection, analysis, and prediction of B cell epitopes. Aug 2009 Chapter 9:Unit 9.8  Current Protocols in Immunology.  DOI 10.1002/0471142735.im0908s86

3. Gershoni JM., Roitburd-Berman A, Siman-Tov DD, Freund NT, Weiss Y. Epitope mapping - The first step in of epitope base vaccines. 2007, 21:3. 145-156 BioDrugs DOI 10.2165/00063030-200721030-00002 (400 citations, Immunology 47/162, Q2, IF 5.807)