Indian American Professors Win Prestigious NIH Award for Groundbreaking HIV Research

Written on 06/27/2024
Indian American Professors Win Prestigious NIH Award for Groundbreaking HIV Research

Washington, D.C. - Two Indian American professors have been honored with the prestigious National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Avant-Garde Award for 2024.
 
Biology Professor Venigalla Rao, Ph.D., of Catholic University, and Sunil Suhas Solomon, Ph.D., professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, were recognized for their groundbreaking research in preventing and potentially ending HIV.
 

Key Highlights:

  • Recipients: Venigalla Rao, Ph.D., Catholic University; Sunil Suhas Solomon, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University; Alejandro B. Balazs, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School.
  • Award: NIDA Avant-Garde Award for HIV and Substance Use Disorder Research.
  • Objective: To support innovative research that could transform HIV prevention and treatment.

 

Dr. Venigalla Rao’s Project:

  • Grant Amount: $5 million.
  • Focus: Engineering Bacteriophage T4 as a targeted gene therapy drug for an in vivo HIV cure.
  • Impact: Potentially curing HIV in substance users and the global population of 39 million living with HIV.
  • Method: Utilizing bacteriophage T4 vectors to edit the CCR5 HIV co-receptor gene, creating HIV-resistant cells.

 

Dr. Sunil Suhas Solomon’s Project:

  • Focus: Evaluating long-acting antiretrovirals (LA ART) for HIV treatment among people who inject drugs (PWID).
  • Objectives: Assess feasibility and acceptability, compare efficacy and safety to oral ART, and model cost-effectiveness.
  • Background: Extensive research on improving HIV care among vulnerable populations.

 

Achievements and Impact:

  • Dr. Rao: Extensive research in viral DNA packaging, holder of 24 patents, Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.
  • Dr. Solomon: Focused on preventive and treatment services for HIV and viral hepatitis, awarded $50 million from PEPFAR/USAID for innovative HIV care models in India.

 

These prestigious awards highlight the significant contributions of Indian American scientists in the field of HIV research, paving the way for innovative treatments and a potential end to the HIV epidemic.