Leadership of the Personalized HIV Care Scientific Working Group

Leadership of PC-SWG

  • Chandravanu Dash, Ph.D.

    Co-Director PC-SWG, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
    Center for AIDS HEalth Disparities Research (CAHDR), Meharry Medical College

    Chandravanu Dash, PhD serves as PC-SWG Co-Director.  He is a junior faculty basic scientist in the MMC CAHDR with a research focus on the effects of drugs of abuse in HIV infection using in vitro and ex vivo models. His work is an excellent example of non-genetic “personalized care” research (e.g. how substance use contributes to inter-individual differences in outcomes) that complements the group’s pharmacogenomics expertise.

  • Todd Hulgan, M.D., M.P.H.

    Director PC-SWG, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
    Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

    Todd Hulgan, MD, MPH serves as Director of the PC-SWG. He is a recognized leader in mitochondrial pharmacogenomics, having led the first studies of mitochondrial haplogroups and risk of ART-associated adverse outcomes in HIV-infected individuals.  His recent work has explored the role of mitochondrial DNA variation in inter-individual and population differences in CD4 recovery.  For >8 years, Dr. Hulgan has led a highly collaborative and successful Human Genomics and HIV Working Group that has met every 1-2 weeks in the VU Center for Human Genetics Research. His commitment and success in collaborative team research, and prior work with the VU DBMI around implementation of computerized decision support makes him ideally suited to lead this SWG.

  • Elizabeth Jane Phillips, M.D.

    Co-Director PC-SWG, Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology
    Director Personalized Immunology in the Oates Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

    Elizabeth Phillips, MD serves as Co-Director of PC-SWG.  She is Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, and Director of Personalized Immunology in the Oates Institute of the VU Division of Clinical Pharmacology. She has been immensely successful in answering important scientific questions about variation in drug responses, in particular interactions between drugs and the immune system. Most of this work has focused on drug toxicities such as hypersensitivity syndromes and drugs used to treat HIV, including key leadership roles in establishing HLA-B*57:01 as a risk factor for abacavir hypersensitivity and studies identifying HLA risk alleles for nevirapine toxicity. Dr. Phillips’ expertise and extensive track record of successful collaborations related to human genomic variation and HIV/AIDS treatment outcomes make her an ideal Co-Director for the PC-SWG.