Edwards Pradenas Saavedra
Edwards Pradenas Saavedra graduated in Medical Technology with a specialization in Clinical Bioanalysis, Hematology, and Blood Bank from the University of Concepción (Chile) in 2014. During his undergraduate studies, he developed a research project evaluating two methods of human genomic DNA extraction and purification.
From 2015 to 2016, he worked as an Emergency Medical Technologist, Quality Manager, and Technical Director at the SOTEM Clinical Laboratory (Biobío Clinic) in Chile.
In 2016 and 2017, he completed a Master’s in Advanced Immunology from the University of Barcelona and the Autonomous University of Barcelona, conducting research at IrsiCaixa on the humoral response in HIV-1 infection controllers and non-controllers.
In 2017, he received a scholarship for doctoral studies in Spain from the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) of the Chilean Government. He developed his doctoral thesis under Dr. Julià Blanco and Dr. Jorge Carrillo, describing naturally acquired and vaccine-induced neutralizing humoral responses against SARS-CoV-2.
Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher in the Virology and Cellular Immunology (VIC) group at IrsiCaixa, studying the neutralizing activity of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and HIV.
Immunization with V987H-stabilized Spike glycoprotein protects K18-hACE2 mice and golden Syrian hamsters upon SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Immunisation efficacy of a stabilised SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein in two geriatric animal models.
A monoclonal antibody targeting a large surface of the receptor binding motif shows pan-neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 activity.
Cyanovirin-N binds to select SARS-CoV-2 spike oligosaccharides outside of the receptor binding domain and blocks infection by SARS-CoV-2.
Safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant protein RBD fusion heterodimer vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.