Dr. Serena Spudich named the Zimmerman/Spinelli Professor of Neurology

Dr. Serena Spudich, recently appointed as the Dr. Harry M. Zimmerman and Dr. Nicholas and Viola Spinelli Professor of Neurology, is a leader in clinical and translational research related to central nervous system (CNS) HIV infection and is at the forefront of efforts to understand and treat CNS reservoirs relevant to the goal of HIV “cure.” 

In her laboratory, Spudich employs a multidisciplinary approach to patient-oriented research in neuro-HIV, through active collaborations with researchers in immunology, radiology, neuropsychology, virology, and molecular biomarkers. She applies these methods to novel studies of patients that may inform about neuroprotection and neuropathogenesis in HIV, including individuals with acute or early HIV infection, patients at different stages of treatment with antiretroviral therapy, and individuals with cerebrospinal fluid HIV escape (detected HIV in the central nervous system despite effective treatment in the blood). She also performs clinical studies aimed to examine and/or reduce central nervous system reservoirs for HIV infection.

Spudich focuses on study participants recruited in urban centers in the United States and international sites, including Bangkok, Thailand. Broader involvement with the design and implementation of multicenter studies relevant to neuro-HIV is facilitated by Spudich’s position within the international AIDS Clinical Trials Group. She also is an active clinician who sees patients living with HIV with neurologic conditions in a subspecialty clinic at Yale.

Spudich received her B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stanford University, and her M.D. degree from the University of California-San Francisco, where she also began her academic career. A member of the Yale faculty since 2010, Spudich has served as a full professor of neurology, and is currently chief of the Division of Neurological Infections and Global Neurology and associate vice chair for faculty development for the Department of Neurology.

Spudich’s research is supported by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, among other agencies. This work has been widely published in professional journals, policy briefs, and book chapters in edited volumes.