Update on Recipient of the Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship in NeuroAIDs

The HNRC Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship in NeuroAIDS (IRFN) provides training and mentoring to clinician-scientists interested in careers in neuroAIDs research. Training experiences emphasize the interdisciplinary and translational nature of clinical problems in neuroAIDS in order to prepare future scientists to tackle emerging questions in the field. The IRFN pairs trainees with mentors from clinical and basic science backgrounds according to their research interests.

IRFN Fellows are exposed to cutting-edge scientific environments and have contact with some of the most respected neuroAIDS researchers in the world. IRFN Fellows have access to resources at UCSD’s HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC) and the Del E. Webb Center for Neurosciences, Aging and Stem Cell Research Center at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (BIMR).

For information on the application process click here

Ajay Bharti, M.D., a 2007 – 2009 IRFN Fellow, is currently an Assistant Adjunct Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Bharti recently received a 5-year Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development award (K23) from the National Institutes of Health to support his career development as well as his project “Impact of Malaria Co-Infection On HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorders”. This study will be conducted in Chennai, India where both malaria and HIV are highly prevalent. Changes in neuropsychological performance will be compared to changes in measures of pathogen activity and inflammation in a HIV/malaria co-infected group before and after malaria therapy. Combined, these results will identify, for the first time, the contribution of malaria to HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment and the impact of treating malaria. The knowledge gained from this study will significantly improve the assessment, diagnosis, and hence treatment of HIV and malaria associated neurobehavioral deficits among adults.

Articles of Interest:

Bharti AR, Letendre SL, Patra KP, Vinetz JM, Smith DM. (2009). Malaria diagnosis by a polymerase chain reaction-based assay using a pooling strategy. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene, 81(5), 754-757.

Letendre SL, Ellis RJ, Everall I, Ances B, Bharti A, McCutchan JA. (2009).Neurologic complications of HIV disease and their treatment. Topics in HIV Medicine : a Publication of The International AIDS Society, USA, 17(2), 46-56.

Link to Project Information