Howard Fox

Howard Fox, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Medicine. He also serves as Senior Associate Dean of Research and Development, Director of the Center for Integrative and Translational Neuroscience, and Co-Director of the Great Plains IDeA-CTR. His research focuses on neuroHIV, aging, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and the interplay between HIV, aging, and neurodegenerative disorders. He leads the Chronic HIV Infection and Aging in NeuroAIDS Center, which integrates Cell-Tissue Animal, Imaging, Omics, and Therapeutics cores to advance neuroHIV research. Dr. Fox also directs the National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium, a longitudinal study analyzing neurological effects of HIV. His work utilizes rhesus macaque models, omics technologies, and in vitro systems to dissect HIV-associated CNS pathogenesis.

Education:

• BA & MA (Johns Hopkins University, 1980)
• PhD (University of California, San Francisco, 1985)
• MD (University of California, San Francisco, 1987)

Research Interests: Dr. Fox’s lab investigates HIV neuropathogenesis, neurodegenerative diseases, and the effects of drugs of abuse on the brain. Recent studies explore dopamine-driven inflammation, cocaine’s role in HIV infection, and tau protein interactions with synaptic mitochondria. Collaborations with Drs. Kelly Stauch and Sowmya Yelamanchili expand into epigenetic aging and omics-based disease mechanisms.

Publications: His research spans HIV-associated neuroinflammation, SIV models, and mitochondrial dysfunction, with a focus on translating findings to clinical applications. Key themes include single-cell transcriptomics, myeloid cell dynamics, and neuroimmune interactions in chronic disease.

Labs/Teams: The Fox Lab is located in Durham Research Center II at UNMC, emphasizing interdisciplinary research. Projects involve molecular, virological, and immunological approaches to address unresolved questions in neuroHIV and aging-related comorbidities.