IU names new director to lead AIDS research on campus

As the global AIDS epidemic becomes an increasingly prominent international issue, the IU Center for AIDS Research has named Dr. Johnny J. He its new director. Under this new leadership, the institution plans to step up its fight against the disease. \n“I am very excited about the opportunity, but I know it’s a challenge,” He said. \nA professor of microbiology and immunology at IUPUI, He focuses his research on the HIV vaccine and HIV’s effect on the brain. He completed his undergraduate and graduate work in China, received his master’s and doctoral degrees from New York University and completed his postdoctoral studies at Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Rockefeller University and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School, according to www.cancer.iu.edu. \n“The AIDS epidemic is a big crisis,” He said. “At the time of my studies, we didn’t have the therapy like we have now. Really, it’s a challenge from the basic research point of view, but you also have to think about the benefits you can bring to the population. We are talking about almost 40 million people who are affected now. It’s a very exciting and fulfilling thing to do. As a basic scientist, if you can find something that contributes to the treatment of the disease, that makes you feel very good.” \nThe IU Center for AIDS Research conducts basic clinical, epidemiological, behavioral and translational research for the prevention, detection and treatment of HIV and AIDS, according to www.research.indiana.edu. The center focuses on the neurological effects of HIV, such as dementia and the loss of motor skills and memory.\nHe explained that the IU Center for AIDS Research will initially seek financial support and infrastructure for the center’s research. Obtaining funding, however, will be no easy task. In fact, He said that this daunting task made it very difficult to fill the position he now holds.\nHe was a member of the committee working to fill the position of director for more than two years and finally applied for the position himself. Due to the fact that the center lacks funding, he said it was hard to find someone because applicants either asked for too great a salary, or because they did not meet the criteria needed to be the director. \nHe also explained that although the research center has a strong communication program and a strong outreach effort fighting AIDS in Kenya, its basic research program is very weak. Within the next few years, He said he plans to recruit four to six new scientists in order to strengthen the basic research program, but that it will be difficult due to the center’s current lack of funding.\n“We have to work hard to make this happen. I don’t think we can pull this off with the very limited resources here. I have been trying to talk to the University and the School of Medicine to explain that we need more resources to make this happen,” He said. “It will take time, but I think we are going to make it.”\nHe hopes to expand the program to increase the overall amount of research the center does.\n“My goal is to bring new blood to the campus and to the state of Indiana,” He said. “The goal here is to bring new money, and the extra money will of course bring new jobs to the state.”