معرفی
Lena Al-Harthi, PhD holds multiple key academic and administrative roles at Rush University. As the The Thomas J. Coogan Sr., MD, Chair of Immunology in the Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity at Rush Medical College, she also serves as Vice Dean of Research, Head of the Division of Translational Science, and Director of the RUSH Initiative to Maximize Student Development (RUSH-IMSD). Her primary affiliation is with Rush University, located in Chicago, Illinois.
Her research focuses on neurocognitive disorders linked to HIV and SARS-CoV-2, particularly investigating astrocyte roles in neuroinflammation and viral CNS invasion. She employs advanced techniques like cerebral organoids, humanized mouse models, and molecular biology tools (e.g., CRISPR, flow cytometry). Her work is funded by NIH institutes including NINDS, NIMH, NIDA, and NIGMS.
Dr. Al-Harthi leads a team including researchers Namrah Ahmed, Arundhati Jana, and PhD candidates Jekzaly Arellano and Ishwarya Venkatesh. Her lab’s innovations include developing microglia-containing organoid models and identifying biomarkers for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Funding priorities include therapeutic strategies and CNS reservoir identification.
