Investigators and Program Directors
Monica Parker
Research Scientist, Wadsworth Center, Bloodborne Diseases
Ph.D. University at Albany School of Public Health (1997)
Post-doctoral training: Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH
Phone: (518) 474-2163
E-mail: mmp09@health.state.ny.us
Research Interests
Dr. Parker directs the diagnostic reference testing and research activities conducted in the Bloodborne Viruses Laboratory. The lab uses a wide range of serological and molecular methods to confirm HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, identify cases of acute HIV infection, detect drug resistance mutations in HIV and genotype and subtype HCV. The laboratory’s Pediatric HIV Testing Service performs testing to definitively confirm or exclude HIV infection in babies born to HIV-infected women in New York State. Dr. Parker also serves as HIV Section Supervisor for the Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program of the NYSDOH.
The laboratory’s research interests include the development of new methods for detecting and characterizing HIV and HCV particularly for diagnostic and outbreak investigation purposes. We use viral genotyping techniques and phylogenetic analysis to investigate sources of bloodborne virus outbreaks. We recently concluded a collaborative study to investigate strategies for detecting acute HIV infection which included an evaluation of pooled nucleic acid testing for screening seronegative individuals. Our current projects include development of assays for HIV-2 detection and quantitation, HIV co-receptor tropism and HCV genotyping using real-time PCR and state-of-the art analysis techniques, and development of HCV quasispecies analysis methods. We also engage in molecular epidemiologic studies aimed at characterizing the prevalence of bloodborne viruses in specific risk groups. We have conducted studies on the transmission of drug-resistant and atypical HIV strains in perinatally infected infants and treatment-naïve individuals. We are currently investigating the prevalence of HCV infection in pregnant women and evaluating alternative algorithms for laboratory-based and point-of-care HIV diagnostics.
Externally funded surveillance projects include the evaluation of dried fluid spot specimens for surveillance of variant, atypical and drug-resistant HIV in newly diagnosed individuals. The lab also serves as the testing laboratory for the CDC’s national HIV Incidence Surveillance Project.