What is your professional background?
After completing a PhD in Medical Biochemistry at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa in 1994, I came to the U.S. to pursue a Fogerty Postdoctoral Fellowship in the NIDDK Intramural Program in Bethesda, Maryland. In 1997, I moved to St. Louis to study metabolic bone disease at Washington University, where I later became an Instructor in Medicine. In 2002, I was recruited to Emory as an Assistant Professor of Medicine. In 2011, I was promoted to Associate Professor and was promoted to full Professor in 2017.
In what division do you work, and who is your mentor?
I work in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipids, with a joint appointment as a Research Biologist at the Atlanta VAMC.
Briefly describe your research. Why is it important?
My research focuses on the immuno-skeletal interface, a nexus between the immune system and the skeleton, a field sometimes referred to as Osteoimmunology. Because immune cells (including monocytes, T cells, and B cells) and their cytokine effectors (including RANKL, OPG, and TNF) are repurposed for homeostatic skeletal functions, immunological diseases can cause serious collateral damage to the skeleton. We are currently investigating how immune dysfunction in HIV infection, and following antiretroviral therapy (ART), causes osteoporosis and increased bone fracture, and how immunotherapeutic drugs may be utilized to promote skeletal regeneration, to reverse bone loss and prevent fracture in pathological states.
What do you like most about Emory?
The extremely collaborative research environment and diversity of research at Emory are quite impressive.
What is your favorite movie or TV show?
Futurama is my favorite TV show.
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