Professional Activities

Personal Statement

I have more than twenty years of active research experience on the molecular biology and pathogenesis of HIV-1/AIDS and have received several R01 grants to investigate pathways involved in the neuropathogenesis of AIDS. During the last five years through a grant funded by NIH, I have been studying the impact of a novel protein, p27SJ, also called pDING, on expression of HIV-1 and have identified several pathways by which pDING inhibits HIV-1 gene expression. Here I have assembled a team of experts from various disciplines to extend my basic science observations on the inhibitory activities of pDING toward better understanding of the mechanism involved in regulation of HIV-1 and explore the possible use of pDING as a platform for developing small molecules that effectively suppress HIV-1 expression.

Positions

1979-1983	Predoctoral Research Fellow, Dept. of Microbiology, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Phila. PA. In the laboratory of Dr. A. Kaji, Dept. of Microbiology, Univ. of Pennsylvania.
1983-1984	Research Assistant Fellow, Dept. of Microbiology, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Phila. PA, after completion of the Ph.D. degree.
1984-1987	Visiting Fellow, Laboratory of Tumor Virus Biology, Natl. Cancer Inst., Natl. Institutes of Health, as a research fellow in the Laboratory of Tumor Virus Biology at the Natl. Cancer Inst., Natl. Institutes of Health.
1987-1995	Assistant Professor, Dept. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Jefferson Inst. of Molecular Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
1991-1996	Member, Molecular Neurovirology Section, Jefferson Institute of Moleuclar Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
1995-1996	Associate Professor, Dept. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Jefferson Inst. of Molecular Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
1996-1999	Professor and Head, Laboratory of Molecular Retrovirology, Center for NeuroVirology and NeuroOncology and Professor, Department of Neurology; MCP Hahnemann Univeristy, Philadelphia, PA.
1999-2005	Professor and Head, Laboratory of NeuroAIDS and Gene Therapy, Center for Neurovirology and Cancer Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
2001-2002	Director, Graduate Program, Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
2002-2010	Chair, Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
2010-Present	Professor, Department of Biology and  Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
2005-Present	Professor, Department of Neuroscience (joint appointment), Head, Laboratory of NeuroAIDS and Gene Therapy, Center for Neurovirology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA.

Honors and Awards:

Grad. Fellowship, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Fogarty Scholarship, Natl. Cancer Inst., National Institutes of Health

Paul Eberman Research Award, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Clinical Ligand Assay Society(CLAS), Distinguished Scientist of the Year Award, Baltimore, MD

Lindback award for Distinguished Teaching, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Great Teacher Award, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA