As a prenatal and neonatal neurologist and scientist, I have been at the forefront of developing synergistic teams in studying the effects of emerging pathogens and translating these insights into mechanisms for developing effective therapies. With that goal in mind, I founded in 2016/17 the Prenatal Infection and Neurodevelopmental Genetics (PING) Consortium. With investments by NIH and CDC, the PING Consortium involves 35 researchers at 23 centers from 19 cities in six countries and has collected 3,063 bio-banked samples from 7,979 mother/infant participants. In the K-Labs, which I established and have been building at Children’s National Hospital, we conduct fundamental and translational interdisciplinary research at the interface of prenatal/neonatal neurology, genetics, and neuroscience. Expertise in our lab includes neurology, pediatrics, neurobiology, virology, bioinformatics, genomics, immunology, vaccine development and RNA therapeutics.
Degrees
-
BSBiology, Kean University
-
MSBiotechnology, Kean University
-
PhDBiochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University
-
DOMichigan State University
Viral infections during pregnancy can cause irreversible prenatal brain damage and fetal deaths. It is not clear why layers of inherent defense provided by maternal immunity, placenta, and fetal tissues do not always protect the developing brain. Our main research questions revolve around identifying how viral infections affect the developing brain, at various levels (including genetic, cellular, and molecular), and what could be done (when and how) to mitigate their impact and even prevent brain injury. Our discovery-oriented research program is successfully uncovering a novel pathway linking the neuronal response to viral infections in the developing prenatal brain. Through rigorous preclinical design, our research program is also establishing critical feasibility studies to facilitate the longterm development of prenatal neuro-precision countermeasures to protect the developing brain—humanity’s most precious resource.
Current Students
Former Students
