Ph.D., TB Immunology, Tuberculosis Research Center, Madras, India, 1996
M.S., Biology, University of Madras, Madras, India, 1991
B.S., Biology, University of Madras, Madras, India, 1989

Assistant Professor, Western University of Health Sciences, COMP, Pomona, CA, 2008-present
Assistant Professor, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, 2003-2007
Adjunct Professor, Touro College, City University of New York, 2007
Adjunct Professor, Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mawah, NJ, 2003

 Infectious diseases, microbiology and immunology topics to the DO, DPM, MSBS and MSMS students.

• Bacterial and viral pathogenesis
• Innate immunity against M. tuberculosis infection with special reference to macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells and glutathione (GSH)
• Cell mediated immunity against TB and HIV infection
• Mycobacterial physiology
• Immunity against oral bio-films causing bacteria
• Immunity against select agents

Recent Grants

• Your Energy Systems, (PI), Effects of liposomal glutathione in controlling Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in individuals with HIV infection and type II diabetes. $40,000., 12-2012-no expiration.
• Surro-Immune, (Co-PI), Effects of CAEV infection on macrophage and T lymphocyte functions, $27,639., 7-2012 to 6-2013
• Your Energy Systems, (PI), Effects of liposomal glutathione in controlling Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. $30,000., 12-2011-no expiration
• Your Energy Systems, (PI), Effects of liposomal glutathione in controlling Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. $35,000., 12-2010-no expiration
• Surro-Immune, (Co-PI), Effects of CAEV infection on macrophage and T lymphocyte function. $34,116., 9-2010 to 3-2012
• NIH-SBIR, (PI), New technology for enhancing oral absorption of water soluble drugs—application to streptomycin. $37,999., 9-2010 to 9-2011
• Your Energy Systems (PI), Effects of liposomal glutathione in controlling Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. $10,000., 12-2009-no expiration
• Western University Intramural grant (Co-PI), Studies on the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Novel Liposomal Vancomycin Formulations. $22,000., 07/09 to 06/10

• Permanent reviewer for American Heart Association North East 4 study section (2006-2009).
• Nominated as a member of research committee of American Heart Association-Heritage Affiliate (2006-2009). Role: Policy and decision making for grant funding and ethical issues involved in research
• Reviewer for American Heart Association Western States Affiliate study section (2008-2010).
• Ad-hoc reviewer for Scheffield Hospitals Charitable Trust, Medical Research Committee, UK. Role: Review grants applications on Microbiology, Immunology, and infectious diseases (2007).
• Chair, Research Committee of Western University of Health Sciences (2008-2011).
• Editor for the text book titled “Global view of HIV infection” (INTECH publishers)
• Lead Guest Editor for an upcoming Special Issue on "Immune Responses Against Tuberculosis Infection" for journal “Clinical and Developmental Immunology”11. Ad hoc reviewer “Infection and drug resistance”
• Ad hoc reviewer for; “Infection and drug resistance”, “AIDS and palliative care”, “Journal of Inflammation”, and “PLoS One”
• Ad hoc reviewer for; “Journal of Interferon and cytokine research”, “Genes and Immunity” and “Gene” “ISRN AIDS”
• Reviewer for Hindawi group of journals
• Editorial board
• Reviewer for the 7th seventh edition of Kuby text book of Immunology, W.H. Freeman Publishers (Chapter 11 and 15)

Recent Publications:

• Morris D, Guerra C, Khurasany M, Guilford F, Saviola B, Huang Y and Venketaraman V (2013). Glutathione supplementation improves macrophage functions in HIV. Journal of Interferon and cytokine research. In press. 2013 (corresponding author-impact factor 3.06).
• Morris D, Khurasany M, Nyugen T, Kim J, Guilford F, Mehta R, Saviola B, Gray D and Venketaraman V (2012). Glutathione and infection. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects. 2012 Oct 23. doi:pii: S0304-4165(12)00292-9. 10.1016/j.bbagen.2012.10.012 (corresponding author-impact factor 5).
• Gray D, Saviola B, Guilford F, Khurasany M and Venketaraman V (2012). Role of Glutathione in Infection and Cardiovascular Diseases; In Glutathione: Biochemistry, Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Implications. Nova publishers [chapter ID: 8903; book ID: 142] (corresponding author).
• Guerra C, Johal K, Morris D, Moreno S, Alvarado O, Gray D, Tanzil M, Pearce D and Venketaraman V (2012). Control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth by glutathione-enhanced natural killer cells. Clinical and experimental Immunology. 2012. 168 (1): 148-52 (corresponding author-impact factor 3.134).
• Morris D, Guerra C, Donahue C, HO H, Khurasany M, and Venketaraman V. Unveiling the mechanisms for decreased glutathione in individuals with HIV infection. Clinical and developmental immunology. 2012; 2012:734125. (corresponding author-impact factor 2.263).
• Guerra C, Morris D, Gray D, Tanzil M, Sipin A, Kung S, Guilford F, Khasawneh F and Venketaraman V. Adaptive immune responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in healthy and HIV infected individuals. PLoS One. 2011. 6(12):e28378 (corresponding author-impact factor 4.411).
• Morris D, Donohue C, Sipin A, Kung S, Hyoung Oh, Franklin M, Murad JP, Khasawneh FT, Saviola B, Guilford T and Venketaraman V. Role of cytokines and chemokines in HIV infection. AIDS / Book 1. Intech Open access publishers. 2011. (ISBN 978-953-308-85-1) (corresponding author).
• Pumerantz P, Muppidi H, Agnihotri S, Guerra C, Venketaraman V, Wang J, Betagiri G. Liposomal Vancomycin: Preparation and Intracellular Killing of MRSA International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. International journal of antimicrobial agents. 2011.37(2):140-4 (impact factor 3.787).
• Gonzalez, B; Guerra, C; Morris, D; and Venketaraman, V. Dendritic Cells in Infectious Disease, Hypersensitivity and Autoimmunity. International Journal of Interferon, Cytokine and Mediator Research. 2010. 2: 137-147 (corresponding author).
• Guilford, T.; Morris, D.; Gray. D; and Venketaraman, V. Atherosclerosis: pathogenesis and increased occurrence in individuals with HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. HIV/AIDS - Research and Palliative Care. 2010. 2: 211-218. (corresponding author).
   

Invited Talks:

• EPS International Global Infectious diseases Conference, Shanghai, China, September 2010
• Southern California Academy of Sciences, Cal State-LA, May 2010
• Research day, Western University of Health Sciences, November 2009
• College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, June 2009
• University of Laverne, November 2008

Click link for additional articles:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Vishwanath+Venketaraman