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Vivek R. Nerurkar, Ph.D.

Director, Biocontainment Core
Professor and Chair
Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology
John A. Burns School of Medicine


Phone: 808-692-1668
Office: BSB 320G
Email: nerurkar [at] pbrc.hawaii.edu
External Homepage
Curriculum Vitae

Bio

Education
1980 B.Sc. Biology, Chemistry, Physics; First Class University of Bombay, Bombay, India
1981 D.M.L.T. Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology University of Bombay, Bombay, India
1983 M.Sc. Zoology (Animal Physiology); First Class University of Bombay, Bombay, India
1987 Ph.D. Applied Biology (Cell and Molecular Biology) Comparative Oncology Unit, Cancer Research Institute, University of Bombay, Bombay, India

Professional History
1981 Technical Assistant, Department of Pathology and Clinical Biochemistry, Lokmanaya Tilak Medical College and Hospital, Bombay, India
1981 - 1983 Technical Assistant, Indian Red Cross, Bombay, India
1987 Research Associate, Department of Cell and Developmental Pathology, Cancer Research Institute, Bombay, India
1987 - 1989 Research Associate, Cancer Center, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
1989 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
1989 - 1992 Visiting Fellow, Fogarty International Center (FIC), Laboratory of Central Nervous System Studies (LCNSS), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland
1992 - 1993 Visiting Associate, FIC, LCNSS, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
1993 - 1994 Guest Researcher, FIC, LCNSS, NINDS, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
1994 - 1996 Assistant Researcher (Virology), Retrovirology Research Laboratory (RRL), Pacific Biomedical Research Center (PBRC), University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), Honolulu, Hawaii
1995 Acting Director, RRL, PBRC, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
1996 - 2000 Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
1996 - 2003 Associate Researcher (Virology), RRL, PBRC, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
1998 - 1999 Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
1999 - 2003 Associate Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences and Epidemiology, John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2000 - 2003 Associate Professor, Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) Graduate Program, and Tropical Medicine and Medical Microbiology (TMMM) Graduate Program, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2001 - 2003 Associate Professor, Microbiology Department Graduate Program, College of Natural Sciences, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2001 - 2006 Activity Leader, Pathobiology of HIV-Associated Disorders, NIH-NCRR Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2002 - 2003 Associate Professor, Molecular Biosciences and Biosystems Engineering (MBBE) Graduate Program, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2002 - 2004 (Sept) Member, PBRC Executive Committee, PBRC, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2002 - Present Director, RRL, PBRC/JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2003 (July) Researcher (Virology), RRL, PBRC, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2003 (Sept) - Present Professor, Department of Tropical Medicine and Medical Microbiology, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2003 - Present Professor, Microbiology, CMB, MBBE, TMMM, and Epidemiology Graduate Programs, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
Director Technical Core, Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, Center of Biomedical Research Excellence NIH-NCRR, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2005 (July) - Present Professor (Tenured), Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2006 - 2008 Associate Activity Leader, Tropical Infectious Diseases Detection and Prevention Core (TDDPC) activity, NIH-NCRR RCMI, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2008 (Aug) - Present Activity Leader, TDDPC activity, NIH-NCRR RCMI Program, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2008 (Nov) - Present Interim Chair, Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2009 - 2010 President-Elect, Amercian Society for Microbiology Hawaii Chapter, Honolulu, Hawaii
2009 (Feb) - Present Director, Biocontainment Facility, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2010 (Jan) - Present Chair, Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, JABSOM, UHM, Honolulu, Hawaii
2010 (April) - Present President, Amercian Society for Microbiology Hawaii Chapter, Honolulu, Hawaii

Research Keywords: Molecular virology, arbovirology, viral diagnostics


Research Overview

Dr. Vivek R. Nerurkar, who joined the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) in 1994, to develop the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI), NCRR-supported Retrovirology Activity following a five-year appointment as a Visiting Fellow and Visiting Associate of the NINDS, NIH, has mentored over 100 undergraduate and graduate students, technicians and postdoctoral fellows in laboratory-based research during the past 25 years. Dr. Nerurkar’s major area of research interest is in infectious diseases, specifically to study the pathogenesis of orphan diseases and orphan microbial agents. Over the past two decades he has conducted research in the diverse but related areas of virology, specifically neurovirology.

Dr. Nerurkar conducts research on pathogenesis of West Nile virus-associated meningoencephalitis and pathogenesis of the fatal demyelinating disease, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). A talented virologist, Dr. Nerurkar, has extensive experience in classical and molecular microbiological techniques, as documented in publications appearing in peer-reviewed journals and in successful grant applications from local and national agencies. He has utilized molecular methods to study a wide range of emerging and re-emerging microbial pathogens. Dr. Nerurkar has collaborated nationally and internationally with investigators from various ethnic backgrounds. He has extensive experience of conducting research in international arena and his abilities to train minority students, enrolled at the UHM (a minority institution) and international students and postdoctoral fellows, is well documented in the form of collaborative publications. He is member of the graduate faculty of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), JABSOM; Department of Molecular Biosciences and Biosystems Engineering (MBBE), College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR); and Department of Microbiology, College of Natural Sciences (CNS), UHM. He is part of the NIH Short Term Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP UP) Summer program, which trains high school and undergraduate students in laboratory research. He is also a mentor of the NIMH, NIH R25 grant, which trains minorities and other disadvantaged students and faculty in conducting research on mental health related issues. Dr. Nerurkar will serve as a Core Director and Mentor on this proposal.

Selected Publications

Grants

  • Grant No / Title: 1D71TW010434-01A1 / Sustainable Research Training and Capacity Building in Liberia for Emerging Viral Epidemics
    Status / Agency: Awarded / NIH/FIC
    Start Date / End Date: 08 September 2017 / 31 August 2019
  • Grant No / Title: 2D43TW009345-06 / Northern/Pacific Universities Global Health Research Training Consortium
    Status / Agency: Awarded / NIH/FIC
    Start Date / End Date: 01 July 2017 / 30 June 2022
  • Grant No / Title: R21NS099838 / Defining the Function of Schlafen4 in the Pathogenesis of Flavivirus Encephalitis
    Status / Agency: Awarded / NIH/NINDS
    Start Date / End Date: 01 September 2016 / 31 August 2018
  • Grant No / Title: T37MD008636 / International Biomedical Research Training for Hawaiian & Pacific Island Students
    Status / Agency: Awarded / NIH/NIMHD
    Start Date / End Date: 01 December 2013 / 30 November 2018
  • Grant No / Title: R25TW009345 / Northern/Pacific Global Health Research Fellows Training Consortium
    Status / Agency: Awarded / NIH/FIC
    Start Date / End Date: 06 April 2012 / 31 March 2017
  • Grant No / Title: 5 R01 AI075057-03 / Intraspecies Transmission and Infectivity of Insectivore-Borne Hantaviruses
    Status / Agency: Ongoing / NIH/NIAID
    Start Date / End Date: 08 August 2008 / 31 July 2012
  • Grant No / Title: 5 U01 AI078213-03 / Multiplex Serodiagnostic Protein Microarray
    Status / Agency: Ongoing / NIH/NIAID
    Start Date / End Date: 01 August 2008 / 31 July 2013
  • Grant No / Title: 5 R03 NS060647-02 / Migration of Polyomavirus JC Across the Blood-Brain Barrier
    Status / Agency: Ongoing / NIH/NINDS
    Start Date / End Date: 15 May 2008 / 30 April 2012
  • Grant No / Title: 5 R25 DK078386-05 / High School Students STEP-UP to Biomedical Research
    Status / Agency: Ongoing / NIH/NIDDK
    Start Date / End Date: 01 April 2007 / 31 March 2012
  • Grant No / Title: 5 R25 MH080661-05 / Translational Research in Neuro-AIDS and Mental Health (TR-NAMH)
    Status / Agency: Ongoing / NIH/NIMH
    Start Date / End Date: 01 February 2007 / 31 January 2012
  • Grant No / Title: 5 G12 RR003061-25 / Research Outcomes Accelerating Discoveries for Medical Applications and Practice
    Status / Agency: Ongoing / NIH/NCRR
    Start Date / End Date: 01 August 2006 / 31 July 2011
  • Grant No / Title: 5 P20 RR018727-07 / Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research
    Status / Agency: Ongoing / NIH/NCRR
    Start Date / End Date: 30 September 2003 / 30 June 2015