Bassel Sawaya

Bassel Sawaya, PhD, MS is a Professor at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, with affiliations to the Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine, Center for Substance Abuse Research, and Neural Sciences department. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) in the HAART era.

Research interests include:

• Neurotoxic effects of HIV-1 proteins (Tat, Vpr, gp120)
• MicroRNA regulation in neurodegeneration
• Metabolic reprogramming in viral pathogenesis
• Blood-brain barrier dysfunction
• Neuronal injury mechanisms

Recent publications highlight:

• 2025 study on CK1δ-SNAPIN-lysosomal dysfunction in HAND
• 2023 discoveries on gp120-calcineurin pathway interactions
• 2022 work on metabolic shifts in neuroAIDS and SARS-CoV-2
• 2019-2013 investigations into Tat/Vpr neurotoxicity

His lab employs molecular, virological, and cellular approaches to dissect HIV-1 pathogenesis. Current work explores therapeutic targets for HAND through microRNA and metabolic pathway modulation.