Jeffrey Jacobson was among the first physicians to take on HIV/AIDS, and over the past 30 years, he had made defeating the disease his life’s work. As his most recent work has shown, he and his colleagues worldwide are getting very close to achieving precisely that.
Thanks to significant strides in HIV research, treatments for the disease have proved to be wildly successful. But as HIV-positive individuals continue to live with the disease, scientists are posed with a new challenge—how HIV affects a now-aging population. Drexel researchers are at the forefront of finding answers and providing solutions.
About 30 percent of people worldwide—more than 10 million individuals—are not only infected with AIDS-causing HIV but also with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). That dual whammy takes its toll on the immune system and may accelerate the aging process in those patients, according to Vanessa Pirrone, a research instructor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
Surprisingly, few animal models exist to study HIV infection or antiretroviral therapies on the aging brain. Barry Waterhouse, a professor in neurobiology and anatomy at Drexel, hopes to address that pressing concern through the development of a robust rat model.
The retrovirus that causes AIDS acts like a shape-shifting villain. As HIV replicates over time, random mutations take place in the viral genome—one of the hallmarks of the disease that makes containing and curing it such a challenge.
Despite 30 years of study, male-to-female transmission of the virus that causes AIDS is not fully understood. Even less is known about infection risk within an aging population.
Drexel’s Richard Frankel says a description of his research is hard to pin down. But his objective is crystal clear: to protect individuals—in particular, low-income individuals—whose rights have been violated at the hands of a large institution, corporation or government agency.
What if it were possible to predict where a message in a bottle was going to end up?
Where does a "memory" actually come from? A team of researchers from Drexel’s School of Biomedical Engineering is trying to find out.
Drexel's Ellen Staurowsky has spearheaded a blog focused solely on LGBT issues in sports.
With the discovery of a new fish species, researchers get one step closer to understanding the Devonian Period.
The brain’s pleasure response to tasting food can be measured through the eyes using a common, low-cost ophthalmological tool, according to a study just published in the journal Obesity.
Using vibrotactile technology on a portable device, associate dean Eugene Hong believes he and researchers at Drexel could bring more understanding to the mysterious nature of concussions.
For the nomadic herders of Mongolia, there is no question as to whether global warming is occurring. They know it is—and see the impacts every single day.
Drexel researchers are working to solve a problem endemic to long-term care facilities: Exposure to endless ambient light.
Researchers in Drexel’s Waterhouse Laboratory are zeroing in understanding the role that norepinephrine and Ritalin play in sustaining mental focus.
Jillian Adair has a strong interest in the restoration and preservation of the natural ecosystems in the world.
If you listen to hip-hop music only to enjoy the beat, you’re missing out. But it’s not your fault, says Donald Tibbs, a law professor who specializes in race, crime and punishment.
Drexel researchers are developing a new method for HIV Detection, using “nanopores.”
Aging cells could be the key to understanding and treating Alzheimer's.
These new experimental manipulations have taken Drexel researchers a step closer to understanding how nerve cells are repaired at their farthest reaches after injury.
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University has been performing watershed and aquatic science research since the 1940s.
Infestations of emerald ash borer beetles could be uniquely tied to cardio vascular and lower respiratory diseases in humans.
When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive deterioration of the body’s neurologic systems, the medical community pours a lot of time and money into drug research in hopes of finding a cure or improving treatment methods.
With the help of the tiny, remarkable fruit fly, two Drexel researchers aim to speed up science’s understanding of a disease that affects more than 5 million Americans.
A research team at Drexel recently engineered a supercapacitor system that can operate at very low temperatures—a development that could eventually eliminate the use of traditional batteries.
Debates about the term “legitimate rape” and whether a woman’s body can prevent rape permeated media coverage in 2012, shedding light on the fact that views about sexual assault victims continue to be outdated, biased and insensitive, and that victims still lack real rights and protections.
Hurricane Sandy landed right on top of Dr. Tracy Quirk’s wetland monitoring stations – but it wasn’t all bad news.
The Drexel study on Ponera, a genus of ants that possesses “sticky appendages,” could provide insight on potential applications outside of the insect kingdom.
CEOs of acquired firms are awarded merger bonuses in 25 percent of all deals, according to a LeBow College of Business researcher.
Drexel's Jennifer Quinlan is shedding light on an area of food safety research that has typically been underrepresented—and providing tools to combat unsafe practices.
School of Public Health faculty explored the connections among health, well-being and public housing in a special issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Progress in Community Health Partnerships.
Joseph is a truck driver from Fonds-Parisien, Haiti, who has nine children. His family has lived by Lake Azuei for generations.
Drexel scientists are among the first nationally to use a breakthrough treatment for patients at risk of cardiac arrest.
Four researchers, including marketing professor Rajneesh Suri, found that men are quicker than women to interpret red prices on advertisements as bigger savings.
When news breaks on Twitter, it’s easy to let 140 characters after 140 characters disappear into the depths of the constantly refreshing news feed.
A LeBow College of Business study showed that mobile coupons may increase a shopper’s unplanned spending.
Texting while driving is dangerous, practically everyone knows it, and a lot of people do it anyway.
Solar panels, like those commonly perched atop house roofs or in sun-drenched fields, quietly harvesting the sun’s radiant energy, are one of the standard-bearers of the green energy movement.
