Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research

Andrea Kovacs

Biography

 Dr. Kovacs is the founder and director of LAC+USC’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Center for Infectious Disease and Virology (MCA) as well as a Professor of Pediatrics and Pathology and the Division Head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. She also directs the MCA Research Virology Laboratory, which is certified by the NIH to perform clinical trials and natural history studies. Additionally, Dr. Kovacs has over 20 years experience in clinical and translational research projects that include laboratory based research projects, clinical trials design and conduct, epidemiologic studies that involve small and large cohorts and translation studies that go from the bench to bedside. Most recently, she was invited to be a member of the NIH AIDS Research Advisory Committee and the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials Group (IMPAACT) Network Executive Committee. Dr. Kovacs’ major areas of research are the pathogenesis, transmission, and treatment of HIV and associated co-infections including Hepatitis C, HPV and CMV. Her current research focuses on pathogenesis of disease and the role of viral infections. Specifically, she assesses the impact on immunopathogenesis of three viruses: human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human cytomegalovirus (CMV). She is also currently evaluating the impact of CMV on the developing immune system and is interested in understanding the role of regulatory T cells. In adult HIV+ women, she is evaluating the impact of immune activation on HIV disease and HCV disease. Dr. Kovacs has authored over 120 peer reviewed publications and over 120 other publications, abstracts, and book chapters. She has also participated in the development of local, state, and national guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV in children and HIV testing of pregnant women.

Research Interest

 Pediatrics,Pathology,Infectious diseases,Virology