Tuesday, January 12, 2010

“Infectious Disease and the H1N1 Virus”


with Charles Chiu, M.D. Ph.D
Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Research in the Chiu laboratory explores (1) the replication, biology, and pathogenesis of human cardioviruses and (2) detection of known and novel viral agents in acute diseases suspected to have an infectious etiology.

The Chiu lab is actively validating the Virochip and “deep” sequencing for use in clinical diagnostics and in outbreak investigation. Current projects include (1) a prospective longitudinal study of respiratory infections in immunocompromised patients at UCSF, (2) a metagenomics analysis of H1N1 influenza A strains, and (3) design of a respiratory / stool subtyping microarray for use in diagnosis of acute respiratory infections and gastroenteritis.

Dr. Chiu is currently Director of the UCSF Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center and Assistant Director of the UCSF Microbiology Laboratory.

1 comment:

Ivan Galperin said...

Dr. Chiu is the Director of the UCSF Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center. The VDDC uses Virochips containing Genbank, which test samples for segments of DNA, indicating what kind of virus it might be. A scanner reads the microarray of probes that light up, and a computer program then analyzes the data. Dr. Chiu's lab currently studies cardioviruses, new strains of HIV mutating from SIV (primate), and H1N1 influenza. One of Dr.Chiu's projects is to make cheap Virochips for diagnostic use by hospitals. If acute respiratory infections and viral gastroenteritis could be easily diagnosed, they would be easier to treat.

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