Center Cores

Administrative and Education Core

Goals and Objectives
The overarching theme of the Center is the development of novel therapeutics targeting oxidative stress for HIV-associated cognitive disorders and dementia (HIV-D). We have identified this as a high priority on the basis of our institutional strengths, our studies of neuropathogenesis, and the continuing importance in clinical care of these disorders.

Organization of the Core
The Administrative Core consists of the Executive Committee, an Operations Office, and a Scientific Steering Committee (SSC). An Advisory Council (AC) will provide 'high-altitude' guidance and oversight. An education committee will oversee and guide the educational activities proposed. The Executive Committee consists of the Director, Co-Directors, and a full-time administrator for the Center. The JHU NIMH Center SSC will include the Director, the Co-Directors, the Core Directors, and additional senior scientists from the Johns Hopkins HIV Neuroscience research community who represent a breadth of disciplines with appropriate representations of NIH funding, a balance between the Schools of Medicine and Public Health, and a balance between clinical and basic research.

Executive Committee (EC): The EC includes the Director and the co-directors, and a research coordinator who will serve as the Center manager:

• Justin C. McArthur, MBBS, MPH
  Dr. McArthur is the JHU NIMH Center Director and currently is the Interim Chair of Neurology, and a Professor of Neurology, Pathology and Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University. As JHU NIMH Center Director, Dr. McArthur will be responsible for the overall supervision of the Center with administrative responsibilities for all components of the project. He will devote 20% effort to this role. Duties will include representation of the Johns Hopkins JHU NIMH Center at the international, national and institutional level at various meetings including the JHU NIMH Center meetings. He will be responsible for oversight and equitable distribution of the JHU NIMH Center funds. He will also be the main person for communication on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Center to the external scientific community, the network of JHU NIMH Center directors, institutional leadership, directors of Core facilities and the Hopkins-based HIV investigators. This will include oversight of the communication system.
• Avindra Nath, M.D.
  Dr. Avi Nath is a Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University, and Director of the Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurological Infections. As co-director of the JHU NIMH Center, Dr. Nath will assist the director in the duties defined above and substitute for him at meetings when it is necessary. He will also serve on the EC and the SSC, and he will also serve as a major liaison to the leadership at the SOM and SPH.
• Joseph Steiner, Ph.D.
  Dr. Steiner will co-direct the JHU NIMH Center and will interact closely with the other investigators on the projects in the department and assist with high throughput assays development and screening of compounds. He will also be able to provide links to industry to assist in the acquisition of novel compounds. Dr. Steiner is a very unique scientist who has been extremely successful in developing drugs that have now moved into clinical trials, for example the neuroimmunophilin compounds. He was also very successful in getting SBIR grants while at Guilford and was the PI of another NIMH-funded project which is part of a PO1 (PI: A Nath: MH070056 Immunophilin ligands for HIV dementia and neuropathy). He brings unique skills in medicinal chemistry and experience from industry that would be important in the development compounds of therapeutic interest.
• John G. Bartlett, M.D.
  Dr. Bartlett served as Chief of the Infectious Diseases Division at JHU School of Medicine for 20 years until 2005. He founded the AIDS Service, and the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, and was responsible for developing the renowned JHU AIDS web-site. He founded the JHU AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) and remains very active in AIDS education and skills development, both within the USA and internationally. He will help develop the Educational component of this Core.