PhD Candidate
Morgan State University
Morgan State University
My name is Sumiko Williams. I received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Morgan State University and a Master of Science in Biotechnology Management from University of Maryland. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Bioenvironmental Science at Morgan State University. I currently hold the position of Animal Facility Manager at University of Maryland, Institute of Human Virology (IHV), and am an active member of Dr. Frank Denaro’s laboratory at Morgan State University. While working at IHV and the Denaro Lab at Morgan State, we have worked on several research projects with focus on the HIV-1 transgenic (TG) rat and the noninfectious comorbidities (NCM) that people infected with HIV-1 develop, specifically in the brain and heart. By investigating, the mechanism which produces these NCM in an animal model system (HIV-1 TG rat), it os hoped that we can identify pathways to interrupt cell death caused by the HIV proteins. One of my responsibilities at IHV is overseeing the breeding and maintenance of the HIV-1 transgenic rat colony. Most currently, I collaborated on a research project titled “Immunocytochemical Labeling of CXCR4 in the HIV-1 Transgenic Rat Brain is Associated with Cell Types Displaying Oxidative/Nitrosative Stress and Premature Senescence.