Georgetown Collaborators

Dan Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor, Georgetown University Medical Center

Phone: 202-687-0887
Email: dw32@georgetown.edu

For the past 2 years, I have served as co-investigator studying microvascular function in WIHS women to explore menopause microvascular dysfunction in the female HIV/AIDS population. This entails obtaining preliminary data on perivascular adipose tissue function in human microvessels and studying the underlying molecular mechanisms causing alterations in vascular functions of isolated gluteal vessels from participants. My previous research includes: (1) observing impaired microvascular function in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), (2) investigating the roles of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the microvasculature of hypertensive models, (3) developing a technique using fluorescent dye to detect the superoxide and NO activity in living microvessels from rodent models of hypertension, and (4) developing the method for gene transfection into isolated cultured arterioles allowing investigation of the role selected genes play on systemic arteriolar resistance and afferent arteriolar function.

Christopher Wilcox, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Georgetown University Medical Center
Director, Center for Hypertension, Kidney, and Vascular Research, Georgetown University Medical Center

Phone: 202-444-9183
Email: wilcoxch@georgetown.edu

I am a clinician and researcher trained in medicine, nephrology, renal physiology and clinical pharmacology. Through Program Project Grant 7 R01 and Training Grant T-32, I was able to develop a strong renal physiology program within the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Georgetown University. Aside from my clinical practice, I have much experience in clinical investigation, publishing 42 clinical / translational studies on human subjects and leading 8 clinical trials. I am the director of the Hypertension, Kidney and Vascular Research Center at Georgetown University that serves a dual purpose: (1) to promote the PPG within the institution and (2) to raise philanthropic support for this subject matter. I have collaboratively engaged in an ARRA grant and a CFAR grant for the WIHS project, both of which aimed to obtain preliminary results on subdermal microvessels in women with HIV/AIDS.

Xiong Jiang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Georgetown University Medical Center, Department of Neuroscience 

Phone: 202-687-0686
Email: xj9@georgetown.edu

The majority of my past and current research has made use of three advanced MRI techniques: fMRI rapid adaptation (fMRI-RA), local regional heterogeneity (Hcorr), and multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA). Although I perform research on subject areas outside of the HIV/AIDS realm, I use WHIS study data in conjunction with these imaging techniques in my own lab. Two ongoing projects include (1) a DC D-CFAR funded study in which fMRI-RA techniques are being used to develop optimal experimental design for conducting fMRI-RA studies on people with HIV-infection and to study the change in neuronal selectivity in HIV-infected middle-aged adults, and (2) a NCRR funded project in which MVPA and DCM are being used to investigate the neural dysfunction of executive function. In collaboration with WIHS researchers, I am investigating the neuropathological change in middle-aged men and women with HIV-infection, as well as the neural basis of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) in the context of aging.

Radoslav Goldman, Ph.D., M.S.
Professor, Georgetown University Medical Center, Department of Oncology

Phone: 202-687-9868
Email: rg26@georgetown.edu

My laboratory studies progression of HCV, HBV, and HIV viral infections to hepatocellular carcinoma and effects of genomic variants on protein glycosylation in prostate cancer. We have established novel mass spectrometric methods for quantification of protein glycoforms and methods for quantification of the peptides in complex biological matrices. These methods are used for molecular characterization of the disease processes. I am also directing the Proteomic section of the Proteomic & Metabolomic Shared Resource at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University.

Chenglong Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor, Georgetown University Medical Center

Phone: 202-784-2610
Email: cl278@georgetown.edu

I am an HIV/AIDS epidemiologist, and have been working with 2 large HIV/AIDS cohorts since I studied as a Ph.D. student: MACS and WIHS. While at University of California Los Angeles, I used data from the Multicenter AIDS cohort study (MACS) to examine genetic determinants for resistance to HIV infection among MSM. During my work at Johns Hopkins University as a postdoctoral researcher, I used data from both MACS and WIHS to examine impacts of HIV infection and HAART use on quality of life of HIV infected individuals. Since joining Georgetown University, I have been using WIHS data to conduct a variety of independent studies, including research on serosorting sexual behavior, genetics, neuroscience, HIV treatment effectiveness assessment, drug interaction and complementary and alternative medicine. My secondary role in WIHS includes collaboration with external investigators to help them make use of WIHS data and secure funds. Some of these efforts include studying the effect of HIV infection on neurotrophin levels, examining neurocognitive function of WIHS women using fMRI technique, and analyzing effects of HIV infection on microvascular dysfunction.