Director: Eric Daar, MD
Location Building: N24 at LA BioMed
Email: edaar@labiomed.org
Phone #: 310-222-2159
Description:

The Division of HIV Medicine at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center provides clinical care to HIV-infected inpatients and outpatients. Clinical and laboratory-based research is primarily performed by five investigators and approximately 20 research staff in the N24 building. Study subjects are seen in the N24 research facilities as well as at the Harbor-UCLA and Cedars-Sinai GCRCs. Research is primarily clinical studies related to pathogenesis and treatment of HIV and its associated complications. The group is focused on studies of the immunopathogenesis of acute and chronic HIV infection, neurologic complications, and the optimal management of HIV disease. Studies are also underway to explore the pathogenesis of HCV infection and the interaction between HIV and HCV in co-infected individuals.

Within the N24 facility there are dedicated areas for blood drawing and blood sample preparation, including a biohazard hood, needles and syringes with appropriate sharp boxes and autoclave. Refrigerators and freezers are also available (-20 o, -80 o, -150o C and liquid nitrogen). There is approximately 500 sq ft of office space for investigators, 800 sq ft of office and conference room space on-site for other research staff, and 400 sq ft of dedicated laboratory space. Research equipment includes laminar flow hoods (2), a fume hood (1), an autoclave, -150o chest freezer, liquid nitrogen freezer (2), -80o upright freezer (2), -80o chest freezer (1), -20o freezer (2), 4o refrigerator (3), and rate-control freezing apparatus as well as other routine laboratory equipment. All freezers are monitored by a SensaphoneTM System and there is a dedicated Pentium PC computer and printer with appropriate software, including FreezerworksTM for managing specimen repository.