Allison P Navis, MD

Dr. Navis's research focus is on the neurological effects of HIV both locally in New York City and in developing countries. While HIV has become a chronic disease with the advent and widespread use of combined antiretroviral therapy, its effects on the nervous system can still be seen in the form of neurocognitive impairment. She has been involved in longitudinal cohort studies in New York City assessing the long-term cognitive changes in people with HIV, as well as studies looking at chronic pain and opioids in HIV. Dr. Navis has a particular interest in global health and has been involved in studies in Zambia assessing the epidemiology and outcomes of new onset seizures in people with HIV. Her future focus is on the pathological immune activation that is seen in the era of antiretroviral treatment with HIV known as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). When IRIS develops in the central nervous system, it can be particularly debilitating and sometimes deadly. Those greatest at risk of developing IRIS are extremely immunosuppressed when initiating antiretroviral treatment for HIV, and rates of IRIS development are thought to be particularly high in developing countries. Her research will focus on better understanding the epidemiology of IRIS in the central nervous system in developing countries.