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Featured Researcher – Mark Peeples, PhD

Featured Researcher – Mark Peeples, PhD 150 150 Alaina Doklovic

Mark E. Peeples, PhD, is a principal investigator and member of the Center for Vaccines and Immunity at The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and a professor of Pediatrics and of Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Peeples’ research focus is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pathogenesis and protection. RSV is the number one cause of hospitalization of children in the developed world and the cause of over 100,000 infant deaths in the developing world, as well as a major cause of death in the elderly, just behind influenza virus. His NIH-funded research is solving the mysteries of the first two steps of RSV infection, attachment and fusion. The two proteins that perform these critical functions are the major targets for vaccine development and for antiviral drug development. Dr. Peeples’ lab also works with pharmaceutical partners in these endeavors.

Read on to learn more about Dr. Peeples’ work and research career.

Why did you decide to pursue your work at Nationwide Children’s?

After graduate school in Detroit, I did a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Medical College, and then 20 years as a faculty member at Rush Medical College in Chicago where I reached the rank of Professor. During that time, a friend of mine developed the reverse genetics system to study RSV. I immediately suggested to him that I should take a sabbatical in his lab at NIH. He agreed and I spent 16 months on the NIH campus in Bethesda. When I started, I had never worked with DNA, but I was a pro when I left. But I didn’t find that kind of supportive environment for research in Chicago, so I kept my eyes open for other opportunities. When Chris Walker, the Director of the Center of Vaccines & Immunity at Columbus Children’s Hospital, came to Rush to present a seminar on his hepatitis C virus work, I had a chance to talk to him at dinner. He invited me to come to Columbus for a seminar. I did and immediately knew this was the place for me – a center focused on viruses and vaccines with a brand-new building (RB2) and leadership strongly supporting research. Later the name changed, but the support of research has only grown.

What was your path to your current role?

In my senior year I took a short course in Virology and really liked it. I couldn’t imagine a better mix of biology and biochemistry, my two favorite subjects in college. My virology teacher was newly graduated from Ohio State where he studied retroviruses of chickens. He convinced the Dean to support his trip to a national virology meeting where he met a virologist from Detroit, Wayne State University, working on a “new” virus, called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). He brought that opportunity back to me and I jumped at it. My PhD advisor was one of two scientists in the world at that time studying the proteins of RSV. And now, more than 50 years later, I am still studying RSV, including its attachment protein that my advisor discovered while I was in his lab.

Fun Facts About Dr. Peeples

What would be your dream job if you didn’t work in research?

I would probably be a tour guide because I enjoy traveling, history, art and architecture. Being an actor would also be a dream job because I enjoy the theater and am in awe of anyone who can become someone else.

Favorite thing you bought this year?

Tickets to Broadway shows. Nearly always a good investment!

Favorite band/music?

Graham Parker.

Favorite way to relax?

Watching The Ohio State University Buckeyes football from the third row of C-deck on the 45, after the skull session warmup.

What fictional character would you most like to meet and why?

Sherlock Holmes because he seems to be good at solving puzzles, similar to the ones we face daily.

What is your favorite part of your role?

I enjoy the constant learning, the new ideas and possibilities, the chance to test and discover, and working with colleagues and students as a team to solve problems and to develop protections against and treatments for viral diseases. A research career is constantly challenging, demands most of my time, and is often disappointing, but the excitement of a new idea or a new connection or writing a new grant or sharing discoveries with the rest of your scientific community in a new paper makes it all worthwhile. And I get to work with brilliant colleagues in my center, at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute, at The Ohio State University and beyond.

How does your research serve our patients and our community?

Much of our lab’s work is focused on the development of new vaccines to protect against childhood diseases, including RSV. Our lab has been a leader in the study of the RSV fusion protein, and particularly the pre-fusion form of the protein which, as of last year, has been incorporated in vaccines for pregnant women and their babies, and for those over 60. We also produce well differentiated human airway epithelial cultures, a 4-week process. We began this work 15 years ago to study RSV in its real host tissue. And we were ready for similar studies when SARS-CoV-2 appeared. We also supply these cultures for the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) research at Nationwide Children’s and at Ohio State University, supported by the CF Foundation, and collaborate with others studying epigenetic control of the function of the human airway and bioprinting of tissue for studying virus infection and immune response in the laboratory. We also work with pharmaceutical companies and philanthropes to develop antiviral drugs and antibodies to prevent or treat RSV.

About the author

Alaina Doklovic is a Marketing Specialist for Research Communications at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She received her BS in medical anthropology and English from The Ohio State University. Her passions for science and health, combined with her desire to help others, motivated her to pursue a career in which she could actively help improve patient outcomes and scientific research through writing.

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