Contact
Michal Toborek, Principal Investigator
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
1011 NW 15th Street
Gautier Building Room #528D
Miami, Fl 33136-1019
Research Focus
The main research interest in my laboratory is focused on the vascular effects of HIV infection with the focus on the alterations of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). My laboratory is recognized for studies on the integrity and functions of the BBB and was first to describe dysfunction of brain endothelial cells in response to methamphetamine (METH) and potentiation of the BBB disruption when exposure to METH and HIV proteins is combined. We also reported the first evidence that pericytes can be a target of HIV infection. We extensively published on how HIV interacts with brain endothelial cells, crosses the BBB, induces neuroinflammatory responses, and forms reservoirs in the CNS. This research interest was expanded to evaluate the vascular toxicity of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the impact of BBB disruption on adult neurogenesis.