Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Infectious Diseases

Faculty Profiles
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photo Urvi M Parikh, PhD

Infectious Diseases

Associate Professor of Medicine

Associate Director, Microbicides Trials Network (MTN)

Associate Director, Virology Core Laboratory

Email: ump3@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-648-3103
Contact
Office: Suite 817-A Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
 
Phone: 412-648-3103
Fax: 412-648-8521
E-mail: ump3@pitt.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Megan Moore
Email: MFM62@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-624-9583
Education and Training
Education
BS, The Pennsylvania State University, 1998
Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2005
Training
Research Fellow, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008
Research Interest
Dr. Parikh's translational research laboratory uses novel technical approaches to solve public health problems in the research areas of HIV prevention and drug resistance. Dr. Parikh leads the USAID/PEPFAR-funded Global Evaluation of Microbicide Sensitivity (GEMS) Project, which seeks to characterize resistance risk from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trials and demonstration projects; identify the most effective and efficient HIV testing and resistance monitoring strategies; generate evidence-based policy recommendations for HIV diagnostic testing frequency and ARV resistance monitoring; and monitor seroconverters from PrEP roll-out programs for ARV resistance in selected clinics in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. The GEMS project brings together a diverse team of laboratory scientists, mathematical modelers, policy experts, health economists, in-country stakeholders, demonstration project teams, and others working toward the common public health goal of minimizing resistance risk during PrEP roll-out. Her laboratory also serves as the Virology Core for the MTN, with the aim of confirming virologic endpoints for all MTN studies; assessing population and low-frequency resistance in seroconverters from HIV prevention trials; developing new assays and addressing research questions relevant to the field of HIV prevention; and providing virology support to MTN protocols, international clinical research sites, and community working groups. In addition to these major projects, Dr. Parikh's lab is investigating the detection of Y chromosome DNA in genital tract specimens using quantitative real-time PCR as a biomarker for unprotected sex and evaluating new HIV diagnostic algorithms using antigen-based rapid tests for identifying seroconverters.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Penrose KJ, Parikh UM, Hamanishi KA, Else L, Back D, Boffito M, Jackson A, Mellors JW. Selection of Rilpivirine-Resistant HIV-1 in a Seroconverter From the SSAT 040 Trial Who Received the 300-mg Dose of Long-Acting Rilpivirine (TMC278LA). J Infect Dis. 2015; 213(6): 1013-7.
Baeten JM, Palanee-Phillips T, Brown ER, Schwartz K, Soto-Torres LE, Govender V, Mgodi NJM, Matovu Kiweewa F, Nair G, Mhlanga F, Siva S, Bekker LG, Jeenarain N, Gaffoor Z, Martinson F, Makanani B,, Pather A, Naidoo L, Husnik M, Richardson BA, Parikh UM, Mellors JW, Marzinke MA, Hendrix CW,, van der Straten A, Ramjee G, Chirenje ZM, Nakabiito C, Taha TE, Jones J, Mayo A, Scheckter R,, Berthiaume J, Livant E, Jacobson C, Ndase P, White R, Patterson K, Germuga D, Galaska B, Bunge K,, Singh D, Szydlo DW, Montgomery ET, Mensch BS, Torjesen K, Grossman CI, Chakhtoura N, Nel A,, Rosenberg Z, McGowan I, Hillier S. Use of a Vaginal Ring Containing Dapivirine for HIV-1 Prevention in Women. N Engl J Med. 2013; PubMed PMID: 26900902.
Parikh UM, Mellors JW. Should we fear resistance from tenofovir/emtricitabine preexposure prophylaxis?. Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2016; 11(1): 49-55.
Mensch BS, Gorbach PM, Kelly C, Kiepiela P, Gomez K, Ramjee G, Ganesh S, Morar N,, Soto-Torres L, Parikh UM. Characteristics Associated with HIV Drug Resistance Among Women Screening for an HIV Prevention Trial in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. AIDS Behav. 2015; 19(11): 2076-86.
Marrazzo JM, Ramjee G, Richardson BA, Gomez K, Mgodi N, Nair G, Palanee T, Nakabiito C,, van der Straten A, Noguchi L, Hendrix CW, Dai JY, Ganesh S, Mkhize B, Taljaard M,, Parikh UM, Piper J, Mâsse B, Grossman C, Rooney J, Schwartz JL, Watts H, Marzinke MA,, Hillier SL, McGowan IM, Chirenje ZM; VOICE Study Team. Tenofovir-based preexposure prophylaxis for HIV infection among African women. N Engl J Med. 2015; 372(6): 509-18.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Q-GRFT Enema Development Supporting a Multi-dose Clinical Trial
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Health
Grant Number: R41 AI152919
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2021
Title: LONG-ACTING PREVENTION IMPLANTABLE SYSTEM (LAPIS) FOR HIV PREP
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Research Triangle Institute International / National Institute of Health
Grant Number: R01 AI152713
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2021
Title: IPM 007 and 032
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: International Partnership for Microbicides, Inc.
Grant Number: CONTRACT
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2020
Title: Transmission Networks Project
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Case Western University
Grant Number: RES 515814
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2020
Title: Service Agreement with IPM
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: International Partnership for Microbicides, Inc.
Grant Number: RES
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2020
Title: Alignment of PrEP use with HIV risk in young women - 2
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: University of Washington / National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
Grant Number: R21 HD098923
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2021
Title: Long Acting Film Technology for Contraception and HIV Prevention (LATCH)
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: Magee Womens Research Institute and Foundation/ National Institute of Aging
Grant Number: R61
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2020
Title: Comprehensive Assessment of Resistance Risk and Development of Policy Recommendations for Microbicide/PrEP Roll Out
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: United States Agency International Development
Start Year: 2015
End Year: 2020
Title: MTN Virology Core
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: Magee Womens Hospital/National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
Grant Number: UM1 AI106707
Start Year: 2014
End Year: 2020
Notable Achievements
Member, Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) Bioscience Working Group
ioscience Liason, MTN Community Resources Working Group
Voting Member, HIV/AIDS Network Coordination Viral Quality Assurance Advisory Board
Project Lead Representative, USAID Microbicides Product Introduction Initiative (MPii) Projects
Protocol Virologist for MTN VOICE (MTN-003), ASPIRE (MTN-020), HOPE (MTN-025)

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
1218 Scaife Hall
3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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