Eliseo A. Eugenin

Eliseo A. Eugenin, Ph.D., is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His research focuses on the mechanisms of HIV-induced neurological damage (NeuroAIDS), particularly how HIV disrupts cellular communication systems such as gap junctions, tunneling nanotubes, and hemichannels in the central nervous system (CNS). He investigates how HIV infection of astrocytes, macrophages, and T cells contributes to inflammation, blood-brain barrier disruption, and neuronal apoptosis.

Key areas of expertise include the role of chemokines (e.g., CCL2/MCP-1), cytokines, and viral proteins (e.g., Tat and gp120) in NeuroAIDS pathogenesis. His experimental approaches involve primary immune and CNS cell cultures, electrophysiology, and in vivo models to study viral persistence and neurodegenerative mechanisms.

Selected findings include the discovery that HIV-infected macrophages utilize tunneling nanotubes to spread the virus, and that dopamine exacerbates HIV-associated neurologic disorders. His work highlights the interplay between inflammation and viral reservoirs in the CNS.

• Affiliations: Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Research Themes: NeuroAIDS, HIV CNS Invasion, Cellular Communication Pathways