Research Associate, UCSD

Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

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I have worked on research projects focused on a variety of diseases, including viral diseases, heart disease, anthrax, and cancer since 1996. I joined the CDIPD in 2014 and am using my background in developing laboratory disease models to study pathogenesis and test therapeutics to assist the group’s effort to find new medicines to treat neglected tropical diseases.

Tropical diseases, including Lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, Leishmaniasis, and Schistosomiasis caused by parasites are responsible for suffering and death disproportionally among those living in poverty. Our group is searching for new medicines that will bring relief to the suffering. In addition to testing compounds we develop, we are collaborating with many groups so that we can test their compounds in our established models. We also work with many groups to screen libraries of compounds against these parasites in an effort to repurpose compounds that were originally made for other diseases, but may inhibit these parasitic diseases because they share a feature of the original target.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is caused by three species of thread-like nematode worms, known as filariae – Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori. Humans are infected by mosquitos carrying infective stage larvae. The worms make nests in the lymphatic system, which can damage and block the lymphatic vessels, impair the immune system and may cause liver damage. The fluid transfer between blood and tissue is controlled by the lymphatic system and when it is infected with the parasitic worms, the fluid can become trapped in the tissues, which can cause painful swelling and disfigurement commonly known as elephantiasis. In addition to becoming social outcasts due to disfigurement, some people who develop LF become disabled by the physical symptoms of the disease, preventing them from working and bringing more despair. The World Health Organization currently employs an integrative approach to eliminate LF, which includes mass drug administration as well as vector control. However, current drugs are not effective against all stages of the parasite and there is concern that drug resistance by the parasites to current drugs may develop. I test candidate drugs for efficacy against Brugia malayi in a worm assay. We are able to perform high throughput compound screening with a worm assay called the Worminator, which was developed around the computer application “WormAssay” at the CDIPD at UCSF. In addition, we are designing an updated worm box to improve the process.

I also help develop and test models for parasitic disease and test drug candidates for efficacy in these models.